


The Protector: A Story Untold

by Quetzalcoatl_is_my_Momma



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender, Fairy Tail
Genre: Also a "Zhao doesn't die at the North Pole" thought Bubble, Avatar can't be swayed by his emotions to make decisions, Avatar still bends the core four, Avatar: The Last Airbender but the Avatar has a Protector in every incarnation, Come changes the story to suit my sadistic mind, Cross-Posted on FF.N with a friend of mine, Fairy Tail Dragon Slayers are Avatar Protectors, Happy is a dragon here, I mean... they get better..., Kataang is a side-character pairing, M/M, Main focus is Natsuko (Natsu/Zuko), Natsu isn't more in-tune but he is around equal ground, Okay Major Character Death yes but also no?, Protectors bend branching elements, Protectors have a 50-50 chance of being more in-tune with spirits than Avatars are, Public Humiliation, Some Canon stays the same, Zhao equals Creep, Zhao has some messed-up plans for Natsu, Zuko is trying to figure out this strange Dragon Boy, branching elements are Lightning Metal Light and Shadow, definately romance, slight angst, so Protectors do it for them, you'll see - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-27
Updated: 2020-09-02
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:13:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 23,927
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26146963
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Quetzalcoatl_is_my_Momma/pseuds/Quetzalcoatl_is_my_Momma
Summary: For every Avatar, there is The Protector, one who came from the element the Avatar was born into previously in the cycle. A Protector's job and duty is to guard the Avatar's reincarnations into the next elements by ANY means necessary... even if the Protector's own life is forfeit. For Aang the Air-Born Avatar, his Protector is Natsu, a Firebender who is the son of the leader of the Dragons and a Human woman, raised by the Dragons themselves for his one fated purpose. Where the Avatar can bend the four core elements of Water, Earth, Fire, and Air, the Protector can bend their natural-born element along with the branching elements of Lightning, Metal, Shadow, and Light. However, one hundred years ago the two suddenly disappeared, leaving the world to drown in chaos. When two Water Tribe teenagers find an iceberg with a Sky Bison, a Dragon, an Airbender and a half-dragon Firebender trapped within, they may have reawakened the two beings needed to save the world from its decent into war.
Relationships: Aang/Katara (Avatar), Natsu Dragneel & Aang, Natsu Dragneel & Iroh, Zuko/Natsu Dragneel
Comments: 2
Kudos: 18





	1. One Born of Dragons and the Boy of the Air Temple

**Author's Note:**

> Crossposted on Fanfiction.net with my good friend MalwareisMajestic. We both came up with the idea for the story so I hope you enjoy it whichever website you read it on!

**Aang's age- 8**

**Nagtsu's age- 12**

" _Aang, this is Natsu." The young Airbender looked up from behind Gyatso's robes at the muscular preteen that towered a head over his short stature, salmon locks framing bright emerald green eyes as they looked down into the Airbender's silver-grey. "Natsu, this will be yours and Kikitaru's new friend, Aang." The taller boy smiled widely and Aang gasped quietly at the sharp canines that glinted in the light. Large wolf-bat like wings fluttered behind Natsu, the color like fireflowers in the night as the sunlight shone through them and revealed stripes like a Tiger-Dog's coat with their deep gold stripes on the red scaly-feathered limbs. A tail waved behind the strange boy, a golden tuft of fur at the end tipped with a highlight of red. Aang had never seen a being like this one before, never even heard of one, and his curiosity slowly overrode his flash of fear. "Hiya! I'm Natsu of the Dragons! My dad is Hong-Long, the Dragon King, and-and I'm gonna be the bestest friend ever!"_

_Monk Gyatso gently nudged Aang forwards, smiling at his hesitation to reassure the young monk. "I-I'm Aang… and this is Appa…" a young Sky Bison let out a groan as it ambled over and sniffed at the half-dragon curiously. Natsu's eyes went wide as he pet the Sky Bison's white fur reverently. "You have a companion too?!" he exclaimed in excitement. Aang nodded and Natsu grinned, reaching out and carefully grabbing the Airbender's hand- so as to not hurt him with his talons- and pulled him to the edge of the cliff they were near. "Wait here!" Natsu spread his wings and flew into the sky, cupping his hands around his mouth and letting out a roar. His strong vocal chords rippled through the skies over the Air Temples and bounced off the mountains. Moments later, an answering roar echoed over the mountains and the Air Nomads flying along the currents on their gliders let out yells of surprise when a blue streak came hurtling from the mountain peaks._

_It slammed into Natsu and the two went tumbling back onto the ledge where Aang and the Monks were waiting. The young air nomad blinked when he heard laughter and gasped when a light blue dragon unwound from within Natsu's wings, his whiskers and feline ears twitching in excitement as he licked at his friend's face gleefully. "Aang, this is Kikitaru, Taru, meet Aang!" Natsu turned to his blue companion and spoke in a series of chirrups and growls. Kikitaru turned to the young Airbender and Aang stiffened when the blue dragon came slithering towards him. His little wet nose twitched as he sniffed at him before licking his face happily. Aang giggled and scratched the dragon under the chin._

" _And you were worried for nothing," Gyatso chuckled as he turned to the one who brought Natsu and Kikitaru to the Western Air Temple. A woman with blonde hair and green eyes smiled as she watched her son and the new Avatar play. "I just had a bad feeling, old friend," Lan Fan said as she closed her eyes serenely. "But, it seems it was unfounded… those boys will become the best of brothers, I can tell."_

**~~~~*/|\\*~~~~**

**Aang's Age- 12**

**Natsu's Age- 16**

_Four years have passed since the two had met. Natsu saw Aang as the little brother he never had and could always count on to have his back while Aang saw Natsu as the older brother he could always count on and go to for advice. Appa and Taru were the best of friends as well, after their **best** best friends though, and Natsu always got letters from his mother and the Dragon Clan monthly when he wasn't visiting them. However, today when the two were playing near a waterfall something extraordinary happened- Aang suddenly bent water and made a small swell that soaked Natsu from head to toe. Natsu, in his shock, sparked with golden arcs of lightning and zapped a school of fish swimming by on accident._

_It turned out that Aang was the new Avatar in the avatar cycle, and Natsu his Protector. Gyatso and Lan Fan had sat the two boys down and explained to them that every Avatar in the cycle had a Protector from the element he was previously born into- and as the Avatar bent the four elements of the world, the Protector could bent the main branches from those elements. For Avatar Roku, it was an Earthbender named Gajeel, raised among the Badger Moles and Dakkodillos, two species being the first Earthbenders. Thus for Aang the Air-Born Avatar, it was Natsu, born of the coupling of a dragon, storng in spiritual and physical energy, and a Human. Raised among the Dragons, the very first Firebenders. They explained that an Avatar must not let their personal feelings get in the way of their duty to keep balance in the world, and as such that puts them at great risk from those who want to do harm. "That is where the Avatar's Protector comes in," Gyatso said. "Where the Avatar cannot become swayed by emotion, but the balance being at risk, his Protector_ is _driven by his emotion and that in turn makes him stronger. You both are two sides of the same coin."_

" _We knew that you two were meant for great things," Lan Fan continued gently as she reached out to caress her son's scale-speckled cheek. Natsu's eyes, however, were hidden under his fringe of salmon hair. Fire danced on his neck and made his clothes smoke as his emotions rose. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Natsu asked, looking up at his mother with betrayal shining in his gaze. Aang was silent, taking everything in while Kikitaru, much bigger now, crooned as he felt his Fire -Brother's betrayal and sadness spinning like a tornado in their bond. He was too big to enter the temple properly now but his whiskers weren't. He wove one into the doorway and let it pet Natsu's head gently._

" _So... was Natsu just brought to me so he could be my shield? Is that it?" Aang's voice was also filled with hurt and disbelief. Gyatso sighed as Lan-fan pulled away from her son and his charge. "This is how the world has always worked, young ones," Gyatso said gently. "And it is how it will continue to work long after we are dead and gone."_

" _I won't accept this…"_

_Lan Fan's eyes went wide as she heard her son's voice. Natsu was gritting his teeth, claws digging into his palms and drawing blood that trickled from between his fingers and splattered to the ground. "N-Natsu?"_

" _I'm not a tool! And Aang's not my charge!" the young Avatar's eyes widened in shock and a small amount of confused hurt. Did their years together mean nothing in the face of this lie? "Aang's not my charge, he's my_ brother _! I'm not a tool to be used as a meat shield for his life because I know he'll be able to protect himself if he works hard enough!" Standing, Natsu glared at his mother as if he didn't know her. Backing away a step he spun around and dashed from the room in his anger. Passing through the door his tail knocking over a vase near the threshold and shattered it. The half dragon leapt off the balcony just beyond the walkway and spread his crimson wings, both he and his animal companion taking off into the orange skies to one of his and Aang's many hideout locations hidden in the mountains._

 _Aang stared after his friend, his_ brother, _with wide eyes. Natsu wasn't abandoning him and that let him heave a sigh of relief inside... but the whole reason he was even introduced to him made him feel wrong... maybe even used in a way. Natsu was to be an outlet, a shield, a wall for those who wanted to do the Avatar harm and that wasn't right. Natsu was a person with hopes and dreams just like Aang... a person who, in the face of this revelation would never be allowed to follow through with those hopes and dreams._

_Being the Avatar and the Avatar's Protector meant that they were going to be treated differently from everyone else. Expectations and responsibilities, situations he and Natsu would have to get into would be a far cry from what they now know._

_And Aang... he didn't want that._

_A sigh from Monk Gyatso brought Aang back from his thoughts. "You and Natsu have much to think about… and you both must prepare for your training." The old monk stood and bowed to his young charge. "Sleep well, Avatar Aang."_

_Lan Fan was the one who remained after Gyatso left. "Aang… I'm so sorry for keeping this from you and Natsu-." The boy shook his head wordlessly, his hurt and turmoil evident on his face. The woman sighed and stood, bowing to the child before leaving._

_The last thing Aang saw of the woman he thought of as a mother was a single tear falling down a tanned cheek._

**~~~~*/|\\*~~~~**

_It was late when Natsu and Kikitaru came back. Aang and Appa were still awake, but the Avatar was packing a small rucksack filled with clothes and food. Natsu flapped a bit away from the balcony, his green eyes glowing in the night as he watched the boy go back and forth. "What are you doing?" His voice jolted the young Airbender and Aang spun around while holding a robe in his hands. "I'm leaving…" Natsu's gaze was unreadable and he gave no sign he was going to speak so Aang continued. "This whole situation is wrong! You're a person, not a shield! And me, I-I'm going to be treated differently- we have our own hopes and reams, and we can't even follow through with them! Gyatso and your mother bowed to me before they left, Natsu. No one ever did that before…!"_

_Natsu came in for a landing and alighted on the railing of their balcony, his dragon feet gripping the rails easily as a bird would a branch or twig as he crouched down. "Okay… lemme pack some stuff and Taru and I are gonna race you to the nearest shoreline… and then beyond that." Aang's head snapped up to look at his older brother in surprise. Natsu grinned, sharp canines gleaming in the moonlight as he reached out and patted Aang's bald head fondly. "What, you really think I'm gonna let you go out there alone?" The half-dragon asked mockingly. His tail waved over the railing, showing his playfulness. "What do I always say? Once Friends, Always Brothers, yeah?" Aang smiled sadly but giggled when Natsu got him in a headlock and gave him a gentle noogie. "Yeah, yeah." the boy shoved the half dragon off and chucked a second travel pack at him. "I'm almost done, so hurry."_

_Natsu huffed, a tongue of red flame curling from the corners of his mouth before he jumped down and hurried to pack some things himself. Within the hour the two boys and their mounts/companions were flying away, fleeing a destiny that would surely catch up to them later._

_For now, they just wanted to be free._

_They flew onward._

_They made it to the beach before they broke past the borders of the Air Temple Islands and continued farther still. Soon they were flying over a choppy sea and the moonlight was blocked by angry clouds. The sky rumbled and Natsu looked up worriedly, Kikitaru whining as he flew closer to his friend._ **_«_ ** _**Do you hear that brother?** _ **»**

_Natsu chuffed, reassuring his friend._ **«** _**Yes, but don't worry- we'll be-.** _ **»** _There was a flash of white just above them and Natsu was then moving without thinking, something roaring in his blood to **PROTECTTHEAVATARPROTECTPROTECTPROTECT!** and Natsu's body then locked into place, a scream of pain trapped in his throat as millions upon millions of blades of energy flowed into his system through a point in his back, settled between his shoulder blades , between his wings. He could hear Aang screaming, Appa groaning in a panic, Kikitaru roaring in fear. He felt the chill of salty brine as he and the others crashed into the ocean waves. The last thing any off them felt was a sudden rush of energy, Natsu's vision was filled with white and gold, and then…_

Cold.

Darkness…

Exhaustion…

_**Cold…** _

* * *

**Kikitaru** _\- Another way to say Happy in Japanese, but is more closely said in a translation as 'Gleeful'_


	2. Awakening from the Iceberg

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two boys are freed from an icy prison. One, an Airbender, the other... a mix of man and beast.
> 
> ...who are they?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now before we fully get into this, I just want to say that Natsu will NOT have motion sickness if what we have planned will slot in properly with the rest of the Avatar: The Last Airbender lore. He will, however, have something that could hinder him just as much. Well, let's get to it!

What was supposed to be a fishing trip for two siblings turned out to be a sudden Iceberg-Excavation. Katara stood beside her brother as they stared wide-eyes and mouths agape at the beam of light and fire swirling together as it shot into the sky. The light was a searing white tinged with blue, but the fire was a deep burning crimson red… however, it didn't remind Katara of the violence the Fire Nation was known for throughout the long One-Hundred Year War… no, for some reason it seemed to exude the warmth of protection, like their father's hugs when he was still there in the Southern Water Tribe, or Sokka's natural protectiveness as an older brother.

** ~~~~*/|\\*~~~~ **

Not too far away, a ship made of metal was carving it's way through the icy waters. A young man stood at the ship's front, looking at the beam of light and fire shooting into the sky. A horrid scar made up some of the left side of his face, golden eyes wrought with determination, bitterness, and a deep anger. But what was also there was _hope_. He watched the column of light vanish gradually and his eyes narrowed.

_"Finally."_

He turned to another person who was on deck, an old man playing a game of Pai Sho and had a cup of tea and a kettle off to the side. "Uncle, don't you know what this means?" the old man sighed and set a card down. "I won't get to finish my game…?"

"No," The teen growled and turned back to the remaining glow. "It means my search is about to come to an end! Three years of scouring the world and I've found him! I can finally restore my honor."

The old man sighed. "That glow could just be the celestial lights, Prince Zuko. We've been down this route so many times before and I don't want you getting too excited over something that may not even be there…" the old man set a card down and gestured to the warm kettle. "Please, come and sit with me. Take a sip of some calming jasmine tea."

Zuko whirled around, gold eyes blazing. " I don't NEED any calming tea! What I need is to capture the Avatar and eliminate or capture his protector as well!" the old man's face fell, a look of concern and worry for the young prince etched in his eyes. as he listened to the young man tell the helmsman to set a course for the light, a wind blew and rattled his cards. Whether the wind was one carrying change or one that carried chaos, the old man, Prince Iroh, Dragon of the West, couldn't be sure.

** ~~~~*/|\\*~~~~ **

As the light and flame burnt themselves out, a figure emerged from the top of the ice. His eyes glowed with power and an arrow on his head flashed menacingly as he looked down at the two siblings. A moment after the first figure emerged a second one shot through the steam and spun into the sky with wings stretched wide and fire curling around their limbs. Eyes glowed a golden-yellow and a tail whipped in agitation behind their form. Lips were raised in a silent snarl and showcasing elongated, wickedly sharp canines while fire curled from the corners of their mouth.

Katara's face went from awestruck to fearful in an instant as she saw the flames coming from the second figure. Sokka raised his spear and held it threateningly at the two figures from the ice, but he was shaking just as bad, if not as much, as his sister. "S-stay away from us! We're warning you!" the two mysterious boys from within the ice stood/hovered silently, staring down at the two water tribe teens, before the boy with the blue glowing fainted. The winged boy lunged forwards and grabbed the other in a protective embrace, wings fluttering as he brought them both to rest gently upon the ice. As soon as he touched down though, he too passed out. Katara gasped and moved to catch the younger-looking one but the winged being seemed to be ahead of her even while unconscious. He wrapped his wings around the younger and took the brunt of the fall, the odd wings chiming from their strange hybridization of scale and feather as they brushed against the cold surface they laid on.

Katara reached for the limb over the younger boy hesitantly before gently lifting it off of him and setting it to the side. Hearing a groan, she looked down at the bald boy in her arms. Meanwhile Sokka poked at the scaly being with his spearhead, drawing a pained grunt from him and a harsh flinch. "Sokka leave it alone!" Katara's voice made him back off, especially when he heard the kid groan. Katara stared as cloud-grey eyes slowly opened and blinked into her ocean blues. However they didn't focus on her for long.

"C-can you come a bit closer? I need to ask you something…" Katara blinked and came closer. "What is it?" the boy blinked tiredly before his eyes snapped wide open. In an energetic voice he asked "Can you go penguin sledding with me and by brother?" Katara blinked and sat back on her heels in confusion. "Uuh… sure?" the boy seemed to float up and land on his feet, looking around at the cold environment in confusion. "Where are we? Wait, where's Natsu?" _Natsu? What's a Natsu?_ There was a groan and a rustle of snow and clothes as the boy behind them shifted, his tail flicking in irritation.

" _Keep it down, you little lemur_ …" a rough voice grumbled. Katara and Sokka jumped and spun around to see the boy with wings and a tail moving to roll onto his back. " _It's too earl_ -GAAAHAH!" the winged one let out a cry of pain and arched his back upwards, face scrunched in pain and eyes squeezed tight. The boy who was evidently named Lemur gasped before scrambling to the elder's side. "Natsu, are you okay?! Where are we?! What day is it?! How many berry-cream pies did you pack?!" a clawed hand covered in scales came flying up and pressed into the younger kid's face, shoving him back and into the snow. "I'm fine… just have a freaky pain in my back, musta' slept wrong… No idea where we are, but we must be up north or south since it's so freaking _cold_ , and if you hadn't eaten all of the pies within the half hour we left the island then I'd know how many I pa-!" the creature paused before looking around anxiously. "Wait, where's Kikitaru and Appa?"

The being, whose name was apparently Natsu, spun around with his tail waving about and wings raised slightly for balance as he looked for his companion. When he moved and his shirt hiked up a bit the two water siblings had to stifle gasps of shock at the horrible wound on his back. It was dead center between where his wings connected with his shoulder blades- it was raw looking and red with lines running jaggedly from the point of entry to branch out all over his back and wings. The front of his shirt was charred as well, and an exit point was in the center of his chest. The harsh lines and branches reminded Katara of a bolt of lightning in the way they seemed to wrap around the strange animal-boy's shoulders and reached out on his wings in a painful clawing motion. It even reached up and over the scales on his face to curl around his eyes in pale pinkish-white trails.

Where flesh was exposed though, it looked more natural to fire wounds… more like-. "A burn…" Katara's voice made the two boys look at her, as if finally realizing she and Sokka were still there. "What? No, that's not right… Natsu can't get burnt, he's a half dragon!" Sokka snapped out of it and scoffed as he rolled his eyes. "Yeah, sure. And this is Katara, a half penguin." Natsu stuck his tongue out at the other boy and spread his wings slightly, flapping them leisurely before wincing at the zings of pain in his back and the sceathers. _This'll give me a problem with flying…_ he thought as he plastered an easy look over his face to mask the pain. _I'll have to avoid flying by myself for a while._ There was a low rumble and a groan from the other side of the iceberg and the formerly icebound boys blinked before they dashed up to the top. Aang giggled as he floated down while Natsu sighed in relief and slid carefully down the slope when he saw their two animal pals were merely asleep.

"Rise and shine, Taru! You've slept long enough!"

"Appa, get up buddy!"

Natsu jogged closer to his sky blue dragon and took a deep breath before breathing red and blue flames gently onto the motionless serpentine form, being sure to warm up his friend thoroughly while not melting the ice they were on. Aang tried to lift Appa up by the lip before the Sky Bison licked the boy, lifting him up before setting him down. Kikitaru's green eyes fluttered before he yawned and chomped down on Natsu with a growl. The dragon rolled the half-boy around in his mouth briefly before spitting him out, making the salmonette covered in dragon spit cackle as he rolled across the ice and righted himself. Appa shook himself awake while Kikitaru stretched, his fluffy black mane rippling in the air and his wings flapping to stretch out the kinks.

Katara and Sokka's eyes went wide at the sight of the two mythical animals. "Well, they look okay to me!" Aang said to his brother while Natsu shot the younger a thumbs up while Taru gave a sloppy lick to Natsu's face.

"I-is that a-?"

"A dragon?" Natsu finished for the shocked Water Tribe girl cheekily. "So it is~! This is Kikitaru." The half dragon smiled, his sharp canines peeking out of his mouth in the dying light as he patted the blue beast on the nose fondly. "But we call him Taru for short."

"And this is Appa, my flying Bison." Aang scratched the natural Airbender under the chin and earned a groan of pleasure from the animal. Sokka couldn't even bring himself to retort, the sight of an honest to spirits _dragon_ being enough to take the fight out of him. "Is he okay?" Aang asked Katara, who snorted. "Yeah, don't worry, it's a welcome change."

Natsu smirked before looking around curiously. "Sooo… you guys live around this icy puddle or what?"

"No, don't answer that!" Sokka had pulled himself together and shoved his spear into Natsu's and Aang's faces, alternating between the boy and the dragon hybrid as if he couldn't decide which was more threatening. "Didn't you see that beam of light and fire a minute ago?! They could have been doing that to signal the Fire Navy! I wouldn't be surprised if the weird guy was a Firebender!" Katara rolled her eyes at her brother's paranoia but she couldn't shake the vague dangerous feeling she got when she looked at Natsu.

Fire danced along his scales and seemed to be reflected in his eyes. His tail flicked, a small ember or two flying from the tuft of fur at the end of it to spiral harmlessly into the snow at their feet as he used his claws to comb absently through the strange scale-feather hybrid that were his wings.

"Well, I should _hope_ I'm a Firebender," Natsu said, placing his clawed hands on his hips. "I mean, that's the only thing I'm really good at besides flying, eating, cooking, and fighting." Natsu held out a clawed hand and lit it on fire, the red flame covering his skin and crackling merrily before it changed color to a soothing blue, then a vibrant green and a shimmering violet. The alternating colors made Katara and Sokka jump away with gasps of fear and surprise. He then let the flame envelop his entire body, sighing in relief as the familiar warmth surrounded him. "See? Instant heater~!"

"Hey, save some for me!" Aang huddled a bit closer, leeching off some of the heat while Katara and Sokka gaped at the two. The girl watched their interaction, namely Aang huddling under Natsu's wing and the boy rolling his eye in a way that reminded her of herself and Sokka. _They really are like brothers, despite looking nothing alike._

"Well… My name's Katara, and the paranoid one is my brother Sokka. You two didn't tell us your names, but I think I got them from your conversation… You're Natsu," she pointed at the dragon-boy who flashed a smile at her and nodded. Natsu wagged his tail and his wings twitched slightly. "Yep. Natsu of the Dragons, at your service."

"And you're Ahng, right?" Aang smiled, but then frowned. "You said my name wrong… you said it like AHng… it's AA… aa-aa-aaaa!" he started to stretch the 'A' out in jerky syllables and Natsu backed away cautiously. "Oh, boy." Aang's nose twitched and his fingers jerked as he leaned back. "Ah, crap, take cover!" the half-dragon ducked behind his blue companion just in time for Aang to sneeze and fly fifteen feet up. Natsu peeked up from behind his dragon friend and shot the boy a double thumbs up and let out a whoop. "New record!"

Aang slid down the iceberg's side and huffed. "I'm Aang, _not_ Ahng." the boy sniffled and whiped his nose before he grinned. "Nice to meet you!"

Sokka and Katara stared at the boy who had just sneezed and was shot like a cannon ten feet into the air.

"I think you broke em', kiddo," Natsu chuckled. Sokka stammered as he pointed at Aang and then the sky in astonishment. "Y-you just _sneezed_ and blasted ten feet in the air!" Aang tilted his head in confusion. "Really? It felt higher than that, though…" "New record, kid." Natsu said absently. Katara blinked in realization and smiled widely as she stepped a little closer. "You're an Airbender?" Aang nodded brightly. "Yep!"

Sokka groaned and turned around. "Okay so we got Dragons, half-dragons, flying bison, light beams with fire and an Airbender along with a _nice_ Firebender… I'm going back home where things make sense, cuz being out here may have given me a dose of Midnight Sun Madness."

He then paused as he looked out at the water- their boat was nowhere to be found. "Hey… if you guys are stuck, Appa and Taru can give you a ride… if you wanna." Katara looked over to Natsu who was scratching his dragon behind a large deer-shaped ear and the giant lizard purred at the feeling. "I'd love a ride!" Katara said, climbing onto Appa- she still had some reservations about Natsu and his dragon- he hadn't attacked them yet, but he was still a Firebender and she knew how ruthless they were… but he looked at everyone like they were things to be protected, no matter if they had just met. Not to mention he wasn't going after the Airbender either, since they were the reason the Nomads were-.

"Oh, no. I'm _not_ getting on that fluffy snot monster OR the Firebender's pet!"

"Oi, Kikitaru ain't a _pet_! he's my friend, _family_ even!" Sokka scoffed but Katara cut off what he would have said next. "Well, are you gonna wait for another monster to give you a ride back home? Ya' know… before you _freeze to death?_ "

** =›◊‹= **

With a pouting Sokka secured on Taru's rear saddle, the large serpentine dragon now stood alongside Appa as if preparing for a race. "So they give us directions and we race there, with me as the ending victor, right?" Natsu called to the Airbender. Aang laughed. "Just because we were napping doesn't mean we're any less faster than you!" Natsu snorted and leaned over on Taru's neck, huddling the scales under him with his knees and holding onto the mane. "Okay, Sokka! You need to hold onto the rear mane! Stay low and trust Taru and I to get you where ya need to go." the dragon's wings flapped slightly, brushing off whatever remains of ice there were on the membrane before readying to fly.

"Appa-."

"Taru-."

…

" _Yip-Yip!"_

Natsu let out a booming bark-growl and the two animals jumped into the air. Kikitaru spread his wings and the reflection of the remaining sunlight on his scales send small reflections of blue and white dancing across the surface of the iceberg and water. Natsu let out a whoop as his dragon took to the air but his face fell when he heard a loud splash and turned around. Sokka was looking terrified, but behind him Appa was… _swimming._

{ **Taru… why is Appa…?** } the dragon huffed, a jet of red fire shooting from his nostrils as he turned around to circle the Sky Bison. { **I do not know…** } the dragon swooped down and let out a low questioning growl to his water-locked friend who answered with a groan of his own. The dragon spoke to his partner who gave a quiet _aah_ in understanding.

"Hey, Aang? Taru says Appa needs more rest!" the boy pouted. "Awwww…."

It would be a long and boring ride back to the Water Tribe, then.

* * *

Natsu rummaged around his saddle bags after a while and found his Ocarina, puffing on it to get back into the practice while Aang chatted quietly with Katara. Sokka had eventually begun to relax, though he kept shooting Natsu these weird looks. "If you're gonna stare, I have much better angles you can do it from on Appa…" The half-dragon said as he let out a low note. Sokka jumped. "No. I'm just wondering if since you and the Airbender kid were stuck in the ice together, you must've known him, right?" Natsu blinked. "Yeah, he's like by little brother… what about it?" the water tribe boy looked away with a grimace, as if he couldn't believe he was asking this question. "Well… if that were true, you two must have lived together with the Airbenders. The last Avatar was supposed to be an Airbender… ugh… I'm just wondering if you knew who the Avatar and his protector were, or who they could be… maybe if you knew them." Natsu's eyes went wide and he shot upright on Taru's horned head. "Wha-? No! Where would you get an idea-? Pffft, that's crazy talk! Hahahah… ehh… ha."

Sokka narrowed his eyes at the half dragon and filed that reaction away for a later date.

"Meh… just curious. Well, I'm gonna jump down and crash with my sister. Night." Natsu waved, not looking back but acknowledging his passenger's departure. "Yep, 'Night."

Looking down at Aang, the boy looked up at him at the same time and they both shared a grimace. Now that they thought about it, they had both done something serious, not to mention cowardly- they had run away from their duties and places… and it left a bitter taste in the young Airbender's mouth while Natsu felt like his stomach was curdling.

=›◊‹=

_It was storming, that much Aang knew. Natsu flew beside them, and Taru beside Natsu._

_There was a flash of light and a streak of red before someone was screaming in pain. Natsu had been struck by lightning, and the concussive sound around them of the thunder made Appa and Taru spiral out of control._

_They crashed into the waves below and the next thing Aang knew he was forming an air bubble around the four before freezing it over._

"Aang…"

_Then it got cold._

"Aang...!"

**_It was so cold-._ **

"AANG! Get up!"

=›◊‹=

Aang shot upright with a gasp, seeing Katara looking down at him from the tent flap. Natsu was beside him and already awake, slipping on his pants over his undergarment. "Ooh, welcome back to the land of the living, princess~!" Natsu crossed his arms over his bare chest and leaned back, the scales on his ribs and sides gleaming in the torchlight. "Hurry up, the village wants to meet the two of you!" Natsu rolled his eyes and waved her away. "Alright, alright… well unless you wanna see a couple of guys get dressed, you should skedaddle back out and wait outside like the rest of your village!" Katara flushed and scoffed before going to turn away. She paused when she caught sight of Aang's arrows.

The light blue trailed over his arms and over the tops of his feet to wind around his legs and vanish under his monk's robes. The boy took a glance over at Natsu's wings as they fluttered and ruffled so he could put them through his own clothing, but before he'd completely slipped it on Aang caught sight of the charred hole that led to the point the lightning struck.

His grey eyes flashed with guilt but before he could ask about it Katara grabbed his wrist and pulled him out of the tent. Natsu huffed and jogged out after his brother with an exasperated grin, nodding to Sokka who just narrowed his eyes at him untrustingly.

"Aang, Natsu, this is the entire village." The girl gestured to the gathering of children and young women. "Entire village, meet Aang and Natsu." The young Airbender bowed while Natsu got on all fours. He curled his tail around and spread his wings as well as he could before bowing his head with respect to the eldest woman there- the dragon's equivalent of a respectful greeting to an outsider nest.

The children huddled closer to their mothers and the mothers frowned at the two, namely the half-dragon Firebender.

"Why are they looking at us like that…?" Natsu muttered to Aang, who shrugged. "Maybe 'Taru and Appa sneezed on us?"

"No one has seen an Airbender in over a hundred years, nor have we seen anything that resembles you," The woman nodded at Natsu. "Either." An elderly woman spoke up as she bravely stepped forwards. "We thought the Airbenders were all but wiped out until my granddaughter and grandson brought you both here… and from what she tells me, you are half dragon, and we have seen your full-blooded dragon as well… the dragons have been extinct just as long as Airbenders have been." Natsu's eyes widened, pupils thinning as he heard the words 'Dragon' and 'Extinct' as if they were in the same subject of speaking. "Wait… _Extinct?_ " Aang voiced their thoughts, eyes wide with shock.

"Aang, Natsu, this is my grandmother."

The old lade kept her half-mast look, merely saying "Call me Gran-Gran."

Natsu pursed his lips and sighed, bowing his head to give a more human form of respect before backing away. "I need to check on Taru- it's a new place with new smells and such so he can be overwhelmed easily." With a casual wave over his shoulder he walked away, but Sokka followed him with his eyes full of distrust.

As Natsu circled around a tent and out of sight from everyone the half-breed finally let himself lean on something, eyes narrowed as his wings fell limp to the snow under his feet. With every beat of his heart, Natsu felt the entry and exit points of his wound throb with pain- it was as if the writing energy from the lightning was trapped under his skin and scales, burning hum up from the inside out in a grating and uncomfortable sensation.

The first time he had ever been burnt, and it was by lightning.

 _It hurts…_ he thought. _It feels like glass or stone grinding into my back or Bumi decided to play the role of a masseuse …_ the half dragon slid to the ground and took deep breaths as he clutched at his chest tightly. A low growl made him look up and he saw Taru looking down at him with worried green eyes. **{I'm okay, buddy…** } the light blue dragon whined before leaning over and nuzzling the teen gently. { **No you are not…! The lightning did much more harm to you then you thought! You need more rest.** } Natsu grit his teeth as a small movement on his part jolted his back- he couldn't lie to his Nest-Brother; he was more hurt than he let on in front of the others. _I can't let myself get caught being like this…_ Natsu thought. _But what happened in the storm_ wasn't _a fluke and it looks like I don't get a choice in how I act or tackle this 'Protector of the Avatar' shtick. The biggest threats to Aang is what I'll be jumping in front of from now on. It happened with the lightning- my body just moved in it's own… and It's gonna happen again… I know it._

The half dragon pushed himself up and patted Taru's snout reassuringly as the blue dragon nuzzled into his side comfortingly.

{ **I may not like this fate…** } Natsu murmured. { **But I guess I'll just have to get used to it**.} Taru snorted and shook his large head. { **You have never bowed to something you truly did not want to do before… why do you bend now?** } Natsu smirked and scratched the dragon under the chin. { **Yeah, you're right… It's not that I'm bending to my fate though, Taru.** } Natsu looked up at the sky and sighed, a plume of mist and fire curling from his mouth. { **Because I'm not looking out for the _Avatar_ at all… I'm just an older brother watching out for his little brother…**} in Manstongue Natsu chuckled lowly. "Guess I should think about this in a new perspective."

** ~~~~*\|/*~~~~ **

On the Fire Nation ship, Zuko was sparring against two soldiers. Iroh watched, brow furrowed as his nephew failed in grasping the fundamental principle once again. "Not good enough," The man said, shaking his head. "Once again!" with an exchange of fire and blows Iroh sighed in frustration and broke the three up once more. "No, Prince Zuko! Firebending comes from the _breath_ and the _lungs!_ Not the muscles." Zuko sneered at the old man as he began his lecture. "The breath becomes _energy_ , and that energy extends past your limbs to become fire." With a punch to the air, Iroh produced a billow of flame that curled around the prince's face without doing harm.

Zuko growled lowly. "Enough! I've been doing the same sequence all day. Gove me the next set- I'm more than prepared!" Iroh shook his head. "No, you are impatient! I won't teach you the next set until you have completed the basics! Do it again!"

Zuko snarled and lashed out at one of the guards, knocking him off his feet with a powerful plume of fire. Turning back to his uncle Zuko marched up to him.

"The sages speak of the Avatar being an Airbender. They speak of his protector being the ultimate guardian, raised by the first Benders from every element themselves of the previous incarnation the Avatar was born into: the previous Avatar was a Firebender, so his protector this time would have been raised by the Dragons themselves! If I'm to face them both, or even just the Protector, I'll need more than basic training and sets to defeat them! they're both over a hundred years old by now- they have had a _century_ to master their elements and combat prowess. _You_ _will_ _teach me the advanced set_!"

The ship was silent save for the groaning of it's course carved through the waters. Eventually and with a sigh, Iroh caved. "Very well… but first, let me finish my roast duck and steamed pork buns~!"

** ~~~~*/|\\*~~~~ **

"Hey, where's Natsu?"

Back at the village, Aang looked around for his wayward brother's unmistakable shape but didn't see him. "AHA! I knew it! He probably flew off to look for a Fire Navy ship to flag down and betray us!" Katara frowned at her brother before turning back to Aang. "We'll help you look for him if you want. He can't have gone far."

"Look! It's the dragon!"

Everyone looked up to see Taru flying overhead, swooping and winding through the air like a ribbon in the breeze and breathing out puffs of fire. The thing about the flames was that it wasn't just one color- there was gold, silver, blue, pink, purple, green, orange, and red. Even a few speckles of black was intertwined in the random shots. On his neck where the saddle had originally been was Natsu, his own wings pressed close to his sides to not provide drag for his animal friend. The half dragon was firebending into the air as well, and his flames were a range of colors also (though he always settled on red much more than any other color). Natsu looked down and waved jovially at his brother and the tribe members below. Sokka scoffed. "Isn't he supposed to be _older_ than you? He acts like a little kid." Aang hummed. "Natsu's only four years older than me- being raised by dragons, he didn't have much time to act like an actual kid so he does it when he can… he's gonna be looking like this for a really long time, so he likes to take advantage." _That's one of the reasons why we ran away in the first place_ , he added to himself grimly.

"What do you mean by that?" Aang looked at Sokka who was eyeing Natsu strangely. "Natsu is half dragon, and from what the Golden Dragon told me, dragon spirits work differently than mine or yours does. Unless Natsu can find a mate to stay with for life, he won't age like we do… If I had to guess, by the time you're ninety or something, He'll look like he's in his early twenties."

With Sokka spluttering on that chunk of knowledge Taru came in for a landing and hummed proudly as the children cheered for his performance. Natsu found himself mobbed by the little gremlins and looked around from one child to another in an attempt to answer their questions.

"How can fire be so pretty?"

"Why can't you fly?"

"Where did you find your dragon?"

"Are you more of a lizard or a person?"

Natsu tittered nervously and looked over at his brother in a silent cry for help. Surprisingly it was Sokka who came to the rescue. "Alright, knock it off! It's time for your lessons!" the children let out cries of disappointment but gathered around the older boy nonetheless. Natsu tilted his head as he watched the little group with curious eyes.

"Now men, it's crucial that you show now fear or mercy when facing a Firebender." Natsu's tail, always constant in its movements and a tell for his emotions, stilled when he heard that phrase. _That's weird…_ the salmonette thought. _It's almost as if…_ Aang's gaze was wide as well at the words. _As if…_

The two boys shared a worried look. _Is there bad blood between the Firebenders and these people…?_

"We're Water Tribe. We fight to the last man." Natsu huffed in the nonsense of that phrase. Dragons may have been prideful, he remembered, but at least they knew when they were to fly so they could fight another day. Staying to fight would just mean death if your opponents were greater in number or strength than you.

"Hey, I gotta go to the bathroom." Natsu let out a sound in his throat giving his acknowledgement, but kept focusing on the lesson. _No… no, he's going about this all wrong…_ Natsu's gave narrowed, emerald green eyes glowing slightly as he watched Sokka lecture _children_ in the arts of battle. Stepping forwards, Natsu called out the other boy's name. "Sokka, stop." The other teen glared at the Firebender. "What do you want? I'm trying to give a lesson here!" Natsu crossed his arms, tail twitching in his irritation. "Why are you teaching five to seven year olds how to fight?" Sokka grit his teeth. "Why do you think? We have no time for fun and games with a _war_ going on!" Natsu jerked back as if he'd been struck- yeah, he'd heard the word _war_ being thrown around, but…

_What?_

"What war?" Aang trotted up to the group. "what're you guys talking about?"

Sokka's eyes slid from Natsu to Aang and he saw that they… they _really_ had no idea of what he was talking about.

"You're kidding, right?" Aang opened his mouth to reply but his gaze snapped to something past the older three. His eyes twitched and he screeched at the top of his lungs, making Natsu clamp his hands over his ears and grunt in discomfort.

** "PENGUIIIINNNNNN!" **

Snapping his head around Natsu saw the four-finned landlocked bird and made a gesture for it to _get the heck outta dodge._ The bird jumped, as if saying _'Oh, crap'_ before waddling away as fast as it's stubby legs could take it. In a rush of wind and a cloud of powdered snow Aang was racing off into the distance after the poor animal and leaving Sokka, Katara, and Natsu behind. "Uh oh… there he goes…" Natsu sighed, face-palming in exasperation. "I swear the squirt has a one-track mind."

Jogging after the runaway Airbender, Natsu set off to track down the younger in a frozen ice box.

Sokka shot his sister a look and repeated his dumbfounded question.

"He's kidding… right?"

Natsu followed the sound of giggling to a ice beach where a huge flock of penguins were grunting and chattering about. The scent that was distinctly Aang, mountains and forests and island winds, led the half dragon to the next hill of snow to see his younger brother chasing the flightless birds. Katara came up behind the half dragon and laughed at the young Airbender's antics.

As she went to teach Aang the 'ancient ways of penguin-catching', Natsu looked out at the sea, his brow furrowing as he looked at the waves. His vision tunneled when he saw a swell lap at the side of an iceberg and make a sheet fall into the ocean with a thunderous crash.

Suddenly he was surrounded by water. It rushed into his lungs, choked him, made it impossible to breathe _whereistheair **heneedsairwhy doesithurtSOMUCH-?!**_

"Natsu! Hey!"

The half dragon jolted and looked down at Aang, grey eyes wide with concern and looking up into green ones. "Are you okay?" small palms were pressed into Natsu's back, the pressure grounding him and soothing the panic that had been welling up in his chest. Natsu forced a smile and snagged the Airbender in a noogie, spinning him about and grinding his knuckles into his bald head. "Never better, squirt. Never better."

Aang shoved Natsu away and the two raced after Katara to catch a penguin to go sledding on. Natsu couldn't shake the feeling, though…

Something would intrude on their peace.

* * *

**_"You'll have to make a choice soon, Little Halfling_. ** _a voice in a strange forest rumbled as two large reptilian eyes stared into a mirror giving sight to the Mortal Realm. **"But I wonder… will you have the guts to see it through?"**_


	3. What a Brother Wouldn't Do

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The revelation is done and Natsu realizes that he and Aang made the biggest mistakes of their lives. With the possibility that everyone they know is gone, they may have to make some choices for their futures.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So now you know- Natsu has PTSD from the storm and the lightning strike along with the muscles in his wings and back being… well, not necessarily paralyzed, but more like… when your foot, leg or arm falls asleep- you can still move it, and use them and stuff but you can't feel anything thus you can't do those functions properly without… say your knee buckling or your finger twitching and not going straight properly. It's like that.

Natsu cheered as he shot over a ridge of snow on a long sheet of ice he'd shaped into a board. Aang was laughing beside him while Katara whooped as she and the young Airbender rode their penguins through the frozen land. Natsu's wings flapped minutely every so often to gain speed or slow down while his tail helped him steer if he heated it up and dragged it in the ice and snow. When he wasn't doing that, it helped him remain balanced. "On your left, Squirt!" He taunted playfully as he shot past Aang's penguin. The landlocked bird seemed to narrow its eyes at the half dragon and Natsu merely stuck his tongue out at it, daring the animal to best his mad skills.

The trio slid into a tunnel on their rides, spinning and whooping and cheering as they performed tricks and whirls while they went through the icy caves. Aang smirked before taking in a huge breath and blasting Natsu in the side, making the half-dragon yelp as he shot through a sudden tunnel appearing on his other side, his hollering getting cut off by the sudden walls appearing and flying past with small gaps here and there.

"You litt-! –nna pa-! –Meat fo-!" Katara and Aang shared a glance and laughed while Natsu ranted between gaps of ice until a blast of fire made a new hole in the walls and Natsu came flying out on his ice board.

The trio slid and flipped around each other before blasting out onto the frozen plains. Coming to a stop, the penguins shoved their riders off of them and waddled away, leaving the three alone in the snow and ice. "That was AWESOME!" Aang cheered as he bounced around. Natsu's eyebrow twitched before his tail came flying up and smacked his younger brother upside the head. "Ooow! Natsu what the heck?!"

"Don't blow me away like that just because you were losing!"

Katara, attention pulled from the duo's squabbling, realized where they were. _Oh, no… we shouldn't be here…_ "Uh, guys?"

Aang scoffed. "I wasn't losing, _you_ were cheating by flapping your wings and using your tail as a rudder!" Natsu gained a tick mark on his forehead. "Yeah, because that's what they're _for_ , you little airhead!" the younger boy stuck his tongue out at the elder and turned his back pointedly.

"Aang, Natsu, I thing we shou-."

"Ooh, you little nimbus, I oughta' make sure you eat nothing but MEAT for the next week!" Aang spun around and glared. "You _wouldn't._ " Natsu spread his arms and grinned ferally. _"Try me_."

"GUYS!"

Katara finally broke through their bickering and the two spun to glare at her.

"WHAT?!"

"We shouldn't be here, _look!_ "

Natsu looked up and his eyes widened at the monolith jutting up from the ice. The reptilian pupils thinned as he saw the emblem on the tattered flag and his wings and tail drooped, slumping like strings attached to them had been cut. "What… what is _that?_ " he asked breathlessly, staring up at the iron monstrosity. Katara scowled as she looked at the object.

"It's a Fire Navy ship… and a gaping wound for me and my village."

Natsu's chest tightened- he didn't like this… he took an unsteady step back but Aang spoke up. "Let's go check it out!" Katara was hesitant and she shared a look with the half dragon. "Wait- Aang! I just said we aren't allowed here! Gran-Gran says we're not to go near it! besides, it could be booby-trapped!" Natsu hesitated before shaking off his unease. _Well we wanted answers, didn't we? This war, the dragons and Airbenders being extinct… we both need to know._ I _need to know_.

"C'mon, Katara! If you wanna be a Bender, you need to let go of your fear!" Aang grinned at the girl before walking ahead, taking the lead. Natsu sighed and trudged along after his brother, nose and ears on high alert for any bad news.

The three ventured inside, Natsu feeling along the walls and frowning at the age of the ship- the smells had long since faded due to lack of human activity and the environment, but the ship seemed… fairly recently beached. "Where did you come from…?" he asked to the metal walls. As he continued on, an Ice-Rat skittered past him, it's tiny bean squeaking out sounds as it hunted for long-gone food. "This ship's been a bad memory for my tribe since Gran-Gran was a child… it was among the first to carry Fire Nation soldiers that attacked us." Natsu turned to Katara with a raised eyebrow and Aang frowned.

"Okay, hold up, time out. Natsu and I have friends all over the world… some of our _best_ _friends_ are Fire Nation, _Natsu's_ technically Fire Nation…" The half dragon nodded as he picked up a wicked saber cutlass. "Yeah, on my Mom's side. Though Dragons originated from the Fire Nation too, I'm still half-human, thus half Fire Nation… I think I'd know it there was a war. And Dragons age slower than humans so they'd let me know if something was endangering me and making them go extinct- _Mother_ would let me know."

Katara bit her lower lip, unsure of how to ask them a question that could solidify her theory on what happened to them.

"Natsu, the war's been going on for a hundred years… just how long were you two trapped in that iceberg?" the two boys exchanged a look and Aang shrugged. "I-I dunno, couple days at the most?" Natsu gave a half-shrug but his eyes told a different story- he was slowly putting together the pieces- Sokka's open disdain for the Fire Nation, the village being scared of him and Aang.

Katara hesitated.

She needed to word this carefully.

"I don't think you were in there for a day, you two." Natsu growled, the dragon side of his blood becoming impatient with the girl's evasion. "You think you know what happened?" he asked, his voice gaining a rough quality to it as his animalistic side came to the surface. "Spill, Katara, it's important to us!" the Water Tribe girl bit her lower lip before continuing.

"It might have been one hundred years… not a few days."

Aang scoffed. "What? No way, that's impossible! Do I look like a 112 year old man to you? And Natsu might age slower because he's half dragon but he would still at the very least look like he's twenty or twenty five!" Katara shook her head slowly. "Think about it though! The war's lasted for a hundred years and you two are _just now_ hearing about it. Aang, you just learned how the Airbenders are extinct! And Natsu, Dragons are completely gone now! Extinct! That's why no one could get in contact with you or Taru, Natsu… because you both were in the iceberg that entire time… it's the only explanation I have." Natsu's eyes widened, his pupils turning into thin brush lines that shook in the face of the news while Aang's shoulders went limp and his eyes filled with shock. Natsu staggered back and hit the wall, knocking the weapons rack down as he gripped salmon tresses in his clawed hands and slid down the frozen metal surface.

"A- a hundred _years…?_ " he murmured. _His mother… oh, Spirits Above, she's probably dead by now… he ran away because of her lying to him, he didn't even hear her out fully… He never told her he_ loved her _after that night-!_

"Cheer up, you two… maybe there's a bright side to all this." Natsu peeked up from his hunched posture to see Aang in a similar state of shock. _How can there be a bright side?_ Natsu thought incredulously. _Every one we knew is probably dead and buried by now if what you're saying is true!_ "Well… we did meet you and Sokka. Right Natsu?" the half dragon slowly looked up and blinked at Aang before nodding hesitantly. "Y-yeah, I guess that's true…" he stood and fluttered his wings, wincing at the pain still racing through his scars but managing to hide its effects on him for now. Katara smiled before helping the Airbender up. "Come on, let's get outta here."

Natsu elected to wait outside the ship while Katara and Aang continued to explore. The half dragon was staring absently into the sky as he continued to chew on the news he and his younger brother received.

 _A_ century's _worth of life… gone in the blink of an eye…_ he sighed, red fire curling around his face and caressing his cheeks from his fanged mouth, warming the scales around his lips. Then his opened maw caught a strange scent in the breeze- it tasted of ash, metal, and fire… it shouldn't be here, and it was wrought with hostility.

 _Something was coming_.

Spinning around Natsu rammed his claws and talons into the hull of the ship and began to scale the side to the top where he exited. Just as he reached the deck however, a flare whistled off into the sky and bathed the ship in a white light. His gut clenched as he moved faster and met his brother at the top of the old ship.

"Aang, that in Mavis' name did you _do?!_ " Natsu gripped the Airbender's shoulders with his clawed hands, his eyes wide as he asked him. "Well, turns out the ship was booby-trapped after all… and, well… we boobied right into it." at Aang's awkward laugh Natsu sighed and let his charge go, eyeing the flare's dying light with a troubled expression. "Something's coming… I can taste it in the wind- we need to get back to the village, _now_." Aang groaned. "Aww… but Natsu-."

" _Aang_." The younger went silent at Natsu's tone. It was something he hadn't heard before- firm, level, and unwavering… but it was tinged with _fear_.

The boy and Katara hesitated but nodded and followed the older boy back to the Water Tribe's village. They walked behind the half dragon, watching as he paused every once and a while to scent the winds by opening his mouth and facing the direction the breeze was coming from. "What's he doing?" Katara asked curiously. "Natsu's smelling for trouble… he wasn't kidding when he said that it was heading our way…" Katara looked back at the dragon boy and cocked her head. "Doesn't smelling have to do more with the nose and not the mouth?"

"It's called _flehmen_ , Katara. To pinpoint a scent better and analyze it more accurately I just have to open my mouth to the wind and inhale…" Natsu had stopped to answer her curiosity. "Dragons have a special organ in the backs of the roof of their mouths just for that purpose- it'd be beside the spark pouch… and since I'm half dragon I have it too." The teen clicked his tongue and turned in the direction of the village once more, picking up their pace to a brisk jog.

"Hurry up. It's not safe here anymore."

** =›◊‹= **

Peering through the spyglass, Zuko watched as the Avatar and his Protector jumped down from the ship and started their way back to a small settlement. He hummed in intrigue. "Quite agile in their age…" He mused. He focused on the one beside the Avatar, narrowing his eyes. the shape was abnormal, and his blood burned at the prospect of what the Protector looked like up close and personal. _They say to get to the Avatar, you'd have to get past the loyal dog, his or her Protector…_ the prince thought. _More beast than man,. Raised by the very creatures and-or spirits that gave humans the power to bend…_ "I **won't** let them get away."

** =›◊‹= **

By the time the three got back to the village, they had a welcoming party waiting for them. Sokka stormed forwards, grabbing Natsu by his tunic and yanked him forwards. "I knew it," The boy snarled. "You shot off that flare to signal your Fire Navy friends!" Aang stepped forwards to object and admit that _he_ was the one who set it off, but Natsu opened his mouth first. "It was an accident. We were penguin sledding and found an old boat. I was curious and wanted to look inside since I'd never seen anything like it before."

Sokka grit his teeth and shoved the half dragon away, making him lose his balance and fall onto his back. Natsu grunted at the jolt his back suffered, but luckily no one noticed it. In response the half dragon stood, flaring up and evaporating the snow from his scales and body. Kikitaru growled and slithered up to Natsu, nuzzling his chest and purring worriedly, to which Natsu gave an answering purr while petting his light blue snout. "I was the one who showed them around inside," Katara argued, looking to her grandmother. "Don't punish them! besides, Aang gave us back something that we haven't had in a very long time- _fun_." Sokka shook his head. "You can't fight a war with _Fun_ , Katara! These two are sooner gonna get us killed if they stay here and show us more 'fun'! Especially _the Fire Nation Monster_ right there!" the boy glared at Natsu for a mite longer than he did at Aang before huffing. "This has gone on long enough. I'm banishing you both from the Village! Take your things and get out of here!"

Katara scowled before spinning on her heel. Grabbing Natsu's and Aang's wrists, she yanked them towards Appa and Kikitaru. "Then if they're banished, so am I! Aang and Natsu are going to take me to the north pole where I can learn Waterbending!"

That seemed to perk Aang up. "Great-! Wait, we are?"

"Katara! Would you leave with _them_ , and abandon your village? Your family?!" that made her pause. Natsu sighed, fire fluttering from his salmon locks as he strode forwards to Kikitaru's saddle. "Look Katara… don't say you'll come with us and abandon the only bonds you may have left." The half dragon slung an arm around Aang's shoulder and pulled him close, tucking the young Airbender under his left wing. "You still have ties here… you have a brother, a grandmother. Children who look up to you and the women who count on you to help them when they need you…" sad green eyes blink into ocean blue. He smiled sadly and turned, mounting the sky blue dragon and settling into the saddle, tightening the straps around his legs. Looking down at the villagers, he added on. "Don't leave the only family you have. You never know what could happen, what the last thing you could say to them will be."

Aang tilted an eyebrow at that, but Natsu didn't look his way. It seems the night they left the Air Temple, he didn't come straight to their room after all… _what is he not telling me?_ The Airbender wondered. _It looks like he regrets something, if what he warning Katara about is anything to go by._

With a draconic bark, Taru turned and walked across the ice, accommodating Appa's current inability to fly. Aang turned to the girl and bowed in gratitude. "Thanks for going penguin sledding with us." The Airbender said. He jumped up to Appa's head and gripped the reins on his horns. "Guess it's goodbye now."

Katara frowned. "Where will you two go?" she asked. Aang hummed, looking skywards. "We might head to the Air Temple Islands or the wilderness of the Fire Nation to look for any Airbenders or dragons…" The boy blinked as if realizing something before calling over to Natsu, who had asked Taru to wait for their Airbending friends. "Hey, Natsu? We haven't cleaned our room in over a hundred years…" the half dragon let out a strange sound, like a choke. "Oh, Spirits, that's gonna be a nightmare…" he bemoaned playfully. Katara chuckled.

"Well… you two be safe okay?"

The Airbender nodded. "We'll try to be. C'mon Appa. Yip-yip."

With a groan, the sky bison stood and ambled off after the blue dragon. Soon both figures had vanished beyond the snowy dunes, leaving Katara, Sokka, and the villagers to go back to their everyday life.

** ~~~~*/|\\*~~~~ **

The two had ridden for a while when they stopped to take a break in some ice arches. "I wish we coulda' stayed longer…" Aang said sadly. Natsu chuffed and used his tail to poke at Aang's side. "Aww, does little Aang have a crush? I'm so proud~! My baby brother's growing up!" the Airbender used his glider staff to whack the ticklish appendage away before he noticed the strange scars on his arms and wings- he wanted to ask, but Natsu didn't seem like he was in pain, so he let it be.

Appa groaned and Aang sighed. "See, Appa liked her too!" Natsu scoffed and waved that fact away. "He likes anyone _you_ like, it's not a fair judge of character. Remember when you tried to befriend a hive of skunk-bees and smelled like crap for weeks? Mom had to give you continuous baths on tomato soup to get the stench out every day." Aang let out a small _ah_. "Oh, yeah. You had kicked me out of our room and made me promise to never try that again." Natsu smirked. "Damn straight-." He cut himself off when the scent from before slammed into the roof of his mouth again. _Shit, they're closer than before!_

Natsu flipped up clawed his way to the top of their rest stop.

"Natsu?"

"Shhh!"

Shushing Aang the half-dragon scanned the bay and fog-filled air, his mouth opened, nose twitching and tapered ears flicking like mad until he caught the moving vessel. He tracked it's trajectory and saw it carving a path straight… towards…

"It's heading for the village." Natsu muttered to Aang, who had climbed up beside him. The Airbender nodded wordlessly and jumped from the ice arch with Natsu following behind. The half-dragon let out three short barks and Taru knelt, knowing his brother's urgency. "Aang, get on and tell Appa to stay!" the Airbender sprang behind Natsu while he gave the Sky Bison instructions. Pointing Taru back towards the village with a deep **_GRUUH_** , the full-blooded dragon spread his shimmering blue wings and shot into the sky, making a path straight for the village.

** =›◊‹= **

"Holy crap… Aang, this is insane."

Kikitaru circled within the cloud cover over the village to observe and Natsu felt sick at the sight. The Fire Nation ship had broken down the Village's meager wall and nearly hurt a child. _And for_ what, _to hurt innocent people?_ "Can you hear what they're saying?" Aang asked. "Yeah," The half dragon nodded, his ears twitching and eyes closed as he listened to the soldier who was apparently the leader. His eyes snapped open and he handed Aang the reigns. "Wait, what're you-?"

Natsu shot the boy a look. "No matter what happens, _stay up here, stay quiet, and stay hidden._ " Aang paled. "What do you mean?" The half dragon grit his teeth. "they're here for _us_ , Aang! I can smell it on the guy at the lead and I heard him asking for the Master of all elements! he'll _burn_ everything down if it means dragging you and me out into the open!"

"But shouldn't we _both_ go in if he wants us?" Natsu sighed. "No, Aang. I'm doing this alone." The Airbender shoved Natsu against the back of Taru's head, making the dragon wobble a bit and grunt quietly. "But _why_? Is it because you're my _Protector_ and I'm the Avatar you have to guard? Are you really buying into that stuff now?! We left because we didn't want that to be our only purpose in our lives, so why are you-?!" Natsu grit his teeth and shot up. "THAT'S NOT IT!"

He grabbed Aang's shoulders and shook him. "I could care _less_ if I'm your protector in your every incarnation and _re_ incarnation past and present! As far as I'm concerned, I am _yours, **Aang's**_ protector and no one else's! I left with you for a reason, not because I didn't want to be your protector! WANNA KNOW WHAT THAT REASON IS?!"

In the face of that outburst Aang stared wide-eyed at the half dragon in front of him.

Slowly, clawed hands slid from his shoulders and wrapped around his body, followed by a tent of warm wings that chimed with their sceathers in the wind. The breeze drowned out what Natsu was saying to those that could be sitting around the two, but Aang's eyes widened and his shoulders went slack when Natsu's words reached him loud and clear. Natsu then gave him one more squeeze and pulled back. With his signature grin, Natsu saluted Aang before sliding off of the dragon's saddle and spreading his wings- that twitched and shuddered, making the half-dragon wobble in the air and fall several feet uncontrollably before slipping into a clumsy diving form. He _never_ flapped his wings, _never_ managed to make them move more than a half foot through the air in a flap, much less a full move, which sent red flags up in Aang's eyes. Aang saw the scars once more as the wind made Natsu's shirt and pants billow and flap in his fall and realization slammed into him like a Sky Bison that filled him with fear and anxiety.

**_"Aang, watch out!"_ ** _the sound of a thousand dragons flying as one in a Thunder reverberated all around them. A flash of light arched towards the boy but something came between them. a scream ripped through the air as icy cold ocean water swallowed them whole._

**_"NATSUUUU!"_ **

_'The wings and tails of a dragon are powerful weapons, but they're double-edged swords too…'_

**«Flashback»**

**_"Aang, I have an important lesson to teach you."_ ** _A ten-year-old Aang looked up at a golden dragon as it looked down at him with sky-blue eyes- Natsu was with the Monks learning to meditate as a sort of exchange for the month- Aang spent time with the Dragons while Natsu spent time with the Monks at the Air Temples. Lai the Golden Dragon was assigned to be Aang's teacher for this week on dragon biology. The boy nodded and stood as Lai used his talons to draw a crude picture of a dragon. **"A dragon's wings and tail are two of our most-utilized weapons. We have our teeth, our claws, and our fire and horns. But what's the difference between teeth and tail, claw and wing?"** the Airbender hummed before answering._

"Your teeth help you eat, but your tail doesn't… and your claws help you hold stuff but your wings don't?" _the golden dragon rumbled and Aang tilted his head. **"Well, yes… but also, no."** Lai took his claws and carved a devastating furrow into the 'webbing' of the drawing's right wing while scuffing out the left completely, as if it wasn't even there to begin with._

 ** _"If you broke or knocked our fangs, they would grow back. Cut off our horns and they will grow back as well. Even if you cut off a claw or arm or leg, we still have three strong others to get us by, and out claws would also regrow. It may be hard, but we can survive without all four legs… but if you damage our wings, leave them in tatters or even sever them completely..."_** _Aang's eyes widened._ "You wouldn't be able to fly at all… if you were in danger, you'd be grounded." _Lai nodded, his great head moving up and down. **"And a dragon's tail is used as a balance for its flight and to change direction. Without that…"** _"You wouldn't be able to move right even if you did make it into the air." _The Airbender looked up anxiously at the golden dragon and sky blue eyes blinked calmly back. **"If the dragon cannot fly, they cannot get away… And a dragon who is downed is a dragon who is dead…"**_

**«Flashback End»**

The words of the lesson echoed in Aang's mind as he watched Natsu approach the villagers. _'The lightning bolt from that night didn't hit me because it hit Natsu… who was protecting me...'_

The strength of Aang's realization made him fall back a bit on the saddle.

 _Natsu can't fly_.

** ~~~~*/|\\*~~~~ **

"Where are you hiding them?" Zuko demanded. He scanned the small pond of faces, but all he saw was fear. He grabbed an old woman and held her before them, shaking her slightly. "They're both about this old, one is the master of all elements! The other more of a beast than a man. I know they're here, so where are they?" he shoved the old lady back but still got no reply. _I guess I'll have to make them want to talk_ , Zuko thought angrily. He had waited for so long, he wasn't going to let them get away!

Reeling back, the prince shot an arch of fire at the cowering villagers, earning come children's screams as they huddled into the arms of their mothers. Before the whip of fire could have reached them though, Zuko would have extinguished it. He heard some of his soldiers let out a shout before a large shape came crashing into the snow and ice between the fire and the villagers.

Zuko stumbled back, eyes wide as he tried to look through the dust and powder that was thrown up. "You guys…"

A voice, low and guttural, more like a Wolf-Bat's growl than an old man's voice, echoed from the cloud. A powerful gust of wind blew the smokescreen aside and Zuko's blood ran cold. Standing before him was what looked like a monster. Large wings were spread and a back of scales faced him, tail whipping about like an angry sandcat's. _Pink_ hair ruffled in the breeze and the head was turned to send a scorching green eye his way, the reptilian pupil thinning when he locked eyes with the prince.

_"What the hell do you think you're doing?"_

"Natsu!" the girl he had grabbed the old woman from earlier seemed happy, but Zuko paid her no mind. He was busy going over the scriptures in his head. _This Protector was raised by the dragons themselves…_

"You're the Protector… _You_ are the one who guards the Avatar?!"

Hands armed with talons ready to rip and tear came up to prepare for a fight. Humanlike lips curled to showcase long sharp canines. "No… I'm not the AVATAR'S protector," Zuko didn't pause, but his confusion must have shown because the creature smirked, a surprisingly human action. "I'm just his _protective older brother_." And with that, he attacked. Fire of a vibrant vivid red (so much more different than Azula's terrifying burn of blue) roaring at his sides and from his spread wings, the Protector lunged at the young Fire Prince, a roar ripping from his throat in challenge.

** =›◊‹= **

Aang stared from above at the fight commencing under them, worried out of his mind. _This is all our fault_ , he thought sadly as he watched his brother falter in a stance as a wing twitched. Natsu's fighting style required all of his body, including wings and tail. This particular attack utilized his wings, but Natsu _couldn't use his wings_ properly. Aang switched his gaze to the soldiers guarding the villagers and the tongues of fire flaring out from the fight between two Firebenders.

 _I need to stop this_ … _but_ how?

=›◊‹=

_Dammit!_

Natsu tried to go for a Wing Attack but his two limbs shook uncontrollably as they spread, leading Natsu to take a blow to the chest and get knocked back. Three Firebenders ganged together to prepare and throw a blast at the pink haired half dragon and Natsu made no move to get out of the way while he caught his breath. "Natsu MOVE!" Katara shrieked at the teen, but it was too late. Everyone only watched as a wall of fire enveloped him and seemingly burnt him to a crisp.

Zuko panted, wincing at the small bruises and bumps the creature had given him. He was a formidable opponent and a worthy fighter. His loyalty was impressive to these people and the Avatar, but in the end the creature's form held no finesse or rhythm. He had been lashing out and pulling things off as he went.

 _Much like a beast_ , the prince thought flatly.

Turning to the villagers Zuko was about to finish with them when he heard something- _two_ something's. The first was a roar unlike anyone in this generation had ever heard before from above, air and wind being shoved aside as the sky thudded and thunder from the cloudless heavens tolled over the air. The second noise was the _strangest_ thing he had _ever_ heard.

**_*Gulp*_ **

With his soldiers eyes on the sky, Zuko watched with wide and shocked gold eyes as the fire from _three_ Fire Nation Soldiers spin around the should-be charred corpse of the beast and get sucked into its gullet like noodles from a bowl of ramen, every last wisp vanishing and a small hiccup making the creature's chest hitch. "Thanks for the meal…" It said with a smirk. "Now I've got a fire in my belly~!" Looking away as a soldier screamed, Zuko's mouth dropped open when he saw-.

 _"A dragon…"_ Iroh gasped in awe as the beautiful creature flew down from the heavens with an enraged snarl on its face and a smaller figure on its back. It circled around the kneeling creature who walked like a man and spoke in the human tongue, and Iroh saw instantly that the tales about the Protector were wrong as the blue dragon hovered over the creature and the two beings spread their wings in unison. All the similarities were there glaring the Firebenders in the face as the dragon _crashed_ into the ice and snow, making the ground shake minutely.

 _The protector wasn't just trained by the dragons and raised among them… he was_ born _of them._

=›◊‹=

Aang jumped from Taru's saddle and poked at Natsu with his staff. "Are you okay?! You never told me you could to that!" the half dragon shoved the stick away with a huff and a small burp. "You never asked, and there was no fire to eat at the Air Temples- Look out!" grabbing Aang Natsu ducked him out of the way of a blast of fire. Kikitaru had wrapped around the villagers in a protective coil, a careful eye on everyone outside his embrace.

Natsu grit his teeth as he looked at Aang after checking Taru's protection over the villagers. "I _told_ you to stay up there with Taru! Dammit, Aang!"

The scar-faced guy who had spearheaded his ship into the village began circling the two boys, golden eyes narrowed and the scent of controlled excitement, anger and bitterness swirling under his skin… Natsu furrowed his brow at that last scent and smelt the air again. _Wait… why did he smell loneliness?_

"I've spent three years meditating, training and preparing for this day to come," The teen said lowly, his gaze focused on Natsu and Aang. "But the Avatar is just a _child!_ His protector is a _Monster!_ " Natsu growled but Aang straightened. "Well, _you're_ just a teenager…?" he said, puzzled about what the problem was. Natsu was still sore about the monster comment from Sokka, and since this guy was throwing it around too he'd decided that that was enough of that. "I'm just as human as those people are!" he pointed at the Water Tribe civilians. "If anyone's the monsters it's you guys attacking a defenseless village! For what, just to get to us?"

The scarred Firebender scowled and took a stance before blasting a spurt of flame at the two which doubled as a signal for his guards to go after the Protector. As Zuko attacked the Avatar, Natsu batted aside a whip of fire coming at his left while slurping down another one.

"Special Delivery!" the half-dragon sang. Breathing in, the boy thrust his head forwards and let his mouth drop open in his signature attack.

 **"Fire Dragon's ROAR!"** fire billowed out of Natsu's maw and knocked several of the soldiers away, giving him some room to breathe. The half dragon smirked as he gestured for the others to come at him. "Are you getting fired up yet?"

Meanwhile, Aang spun his staff to deflect the scarred Firebender's attacks, but every time he did the fire had to go somewhere- and it coiled closer and closer to Kikitaru. The blue dragon kept a close eye on his charges and the younger human. While a soldier tried to sneak up behind him the Dragon used his tail to pick the unfortunate man up and chuck him yowling into the pile of snow that was once the village wall.

Aang sent a gust of wind at the scarred bender and tripped him with it, making him growl angrily.

Natsu cackled as he faced seven Firebenders, his body wreathed in flames and eyes alight with eagerness.

"Spirits above, what is he?!"

"This guy's a monster!"

"Does he even have ANY human in him?!"

"Less yappin', more smackin'! **Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!** " a man went sailing past Aang and into Kikitaru's side who used his tail to toss him into a snowdrift as he did the first one who came into contact with him.

"Crystal, come back!"

Natsu and Aang froze when they saw one of the soldiers Natsu had knocked out previously manage to sneak past Taru and grab a child, a blade of fire held to her neck. Natsu's thrill of a fight was suddenly smothered by the rage he felt at a child being used as a hostage, and in an instant he went up in flames.

A dancing collection of red, green, gold and orange that burned hot and wild flared outwards from the half dragon's body while Aang blasted out a gust of wind.

Together they shouted out a single command.

**_"ENOUGH!"_ **

The two boys breathed heavily, one holding his staff out to the side and the other letting smoke jet from his mouth from his battle high and breathlessness. "If we go with you, will you leave this place alone?" The scar-faced bender paused and tilted his head, almost not believing the deal, and looked sharply at Natsu. "And your guard dog? How do I know he won't get in the way?" Natsu swallowed as his anger drained into frustration and a willingness to cooperate. "I won't interfere with you or try to escape. I won't even fight against whatever you want to do to me. I'll even let you chain me up… you say I'm a monster so I'll let you treat me like one. Just don't hurt these people… and don't hurt my little brother." Aang moved to shout his objection but Natsu shot his little brother an angry glare. The leader of this invasion weighed the pros and cons.

Zuko knew he shouldn't even be thinking of this proposal- he was looking to capture the Avatar, and burn the consequences. For all he knew, this was a ploy to distract him so the Avatar could attack him. But looking into green eyes and then cloudy grey, Zuko found that this thing and the Avatar were telling the truth. As his mother said once in passing when they fed turtle-ducks, _"Animals and children tell the truth and never lie."_

This animal and this child were proving the phrase to be true.

With a nod, Zuko watched as the creature was bound with iron shackles while the Avatar protested and reached out for it. The dragon was muzzled while fighting back a short moment before a commanding growl from the Protector made it stop- apparently it could communicate with the dragon as well.

As they loaded the three on board, Zuko felt something he hadn't felt for a very long time.

_Hope._

He was going home…

And as Natsu and Aang were shoved into separate cells, Natsu in one with chains clamped to his wrists and ankles while Aang watched his brother's treatment, a glance from Natsu's eyes as they flashed with a brief green glow brought up the words he spoke to him in the moments before Natsu had started to fight the soldiers.

 _"It's because I'm your_ brother _. What wouldn't someone do to protect their little brother?"_


	4. Avatar and Protector

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taken prisoner aboard Zuko's ship, Natsu can only rely on his promise with the one who captured himself and his little brother to get them out of this mess. though help from some friends is also appreciated.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Key:
> 
> **_«This is Dragon-Tongue»_ **
> 
> _'This is thinking'_
> 
> "This is normal talking"
> 
> **_"This is any of Natsu's attacks"_ **

Natsu grunted as a chain made a shot of discomfort race through him. The sixteen year old half dragon's senses were being overrun while on the boat; the constant rocking, the creaking, the sound of the water all around them from the level he was imprisoned in made it hard to focus, but if this was going to be his new home for however long was necessary he'd get used to it... eventually. He knew Aang was somewhere else on the ship- the Firebenders wouldn't be stupid enough to leave the brothers too close to each other. As the ship bumped into something- probably some ice- Natsu slid towards the wall but was yanked to a stop by the collar and chain around his neck that was attached to the opposite wall of his cell, making him choke a bit as the metal blocked off his air for a split second. Natsu righted himself and leaned against the wall quietly, letting out a sigh of smoke and sparks that trailed up into the air.

He could only hope that Aang was alright… and giving his own wardens a run for their money.

=›◊‹=

Aang was walked deeper into the bowels of the ship after they had locked Natsu away. He had to get out and save his brother, but how? Then he got an idea.

"I'll bet you've never fought an Airbender before… Betcha' I can take you two with both hands tied behind my back~!" " _When in doubt, channel your Inner Kid, squirt_." Natsu always told him. _"Make people pissed off at your nonstop talking and they'll underestimate you. If that succeeds then you can_ really _kick their asses."_ As the guard in front of him told him to be quiet Aang took a deep breath and let it out, slamming the guard into the door while ramming the other one behind him backwards and into the ground. Taking his chance Aang jumped onto the deck and looked at Kikitaru. The light blue dragon looked up before blinking at the Airbender in understanding and Aang smiled sadly. The dragon was saying to not worry about them.

Turning, Aang blasted a door open and began the hunt for his brother and his staff.

=›◊‹=

Natsu shot up when he heard the rapid pounding of feet approach his cell and the scent of skies and mountain ranges. The door slammed open in a gust of wind and Aang stood there loud and proud, with an extra emphasis on the _loud_ , to break him out.

 _"NATSUUU! I'VE COME TO RESCUE YOUUU!"_ the half dragon smirked at the volume of his exclamation. "So I guess subtlety is off the table?" Aang tittered sheepishly as he used Airbending to move the inner mechanisms of the locks and shackles of his chains around, unbinding him. With his bindings on the ground or hanging from the walls, Natsu stretched and smirked, fire running up and down his arms. "Yeah, sneaking wasn't always my best trait…" Natsu rolled his eyes before slamming a fist into his palm, a sign he was ready and raring for a brawl. "Then let's go with plan 'T', yeah?" Aang grinned as he spun his staff. "Take em' by storm? I'm ready to go!"

The two barreled out of the cell and made their way through the maze that was the ship, knocking over Firebenders with gusts of wind or sucking down their fire attacks thanks to Natsu's voracious appetite. "Soldiers coming on the right!" Natsu said as a foot came into the corridor. "I got it." Aang spun and used his staff to Airbend a blast of wind into the man's chest sending him back into the hall he was coming from. "Go, go!" at his brother's command Aang ducked under Natsu's wing and continued down the hallway looking for the exit. Natsu's cell had been deeper than his intended one and he hadn't fully memorized the way back out. when they paused at a four-way intersection Natsu's eyes were darting to and fro. "Which way, squirt?" Aang scratched his head as he wracked his brain.

"Ummm, well...?"

"Wait, you're lost?!" Natsu barked in annoyance and Aang frowned at Natsu's attitude while he spotted a trio of soldiers approaching from behind. "This ship is huge, it's not my fault!" Aang airbent the group of three before they could effectively attack, smacking them around on the walls, ceiling, floor, and then finally through a door that slammed shut and clicked it's lock tightly.

Natsu paused and sniffed the air. "Fresh ocean wind is this way!" Grabbing Aang's wrist he raced through a hallway and into a door that slammed shut behind them. In front of them was an opened window letting a fresh ocean breeze run through the ship and the half-dragon knew instantly they had been tricked, cursing under his breath. Spinning around Natsu shoved Aang behind him and spread his wings to shield the younger as best he could.

"Looks like I underestimated you two… who knew a _monster_ was capable of thinking?"

Zuko was waiting for them both.

Natsu snarled, tail lashing at the ground while Aang looked around the room for anything they could use to escape. "You're not getting your hands on him!" the half dragon growled. Summoning forth his fire the half dragon stomped the mat on the ground and sent a wave of red flame towards the scar-faced teenager. Unfortunately he had just jumped onto the wall where a hanging emblem was on display to wait out Natsu's blanketing attack. "Aang, you need to get off of this ship." He said while he continued the onslaught. The boy looked at his brothers back worriedly. "But you can't fly, not while you're-!" "Aang, just listen! This guy is _dangerous_ … the way he's focused on you and me, He'll do anything to get us." Golden eyes glared hatefully into green emeralds as Natsu pushed what power he had into continuing the shielding attack- the guy couldn't get down if the floor was covered in fire. "You're a kid, Aang- not to mention practically a pacifist. And if there's one thing I agree with about this 'Protector' business, it's that I _will_ protect you. Besides… I promised _I_ wouldn't try to escape, _I_ wouldn't try to run or fight back… I didn't say anything about **_you_** _._ " Aang's eyes widened.

 _That's why Natsu hadn't so much as thrown a punch until now,_ he realized. _And even now, he's just aiming at the ground- he's keeping this guy_ away _, not trying to hurt him!_

Zuko hung onto the drape with a silent snarl on his face. The beast was leveling him with an unblinking look, red scales glittering in the blaze he was sending out on the ground and wings unmoving almost as if he were _daring_ him to try and get past him- it was a _challenge_.

The Avatar grit his teeth. "But I don't want to leave you or Taru here! They had you both chained up!" the Protector smiled and reached out. Zuko blinked as he saw the thing raise a clawed limb and gently pull the Avatar forwards, pressing their foreheads together in an apparently tender moment- all the while though, it never took its eyes off of him. Then it spun around and shoved the Avatar towards the door, coating it's fist in fire the Protector reared back and slammed a fist into the door and successfully knocking it off its hinges.

But the Avatar wasn't having it and grabbed the Protector's wing to drag him along.

Natsu let out a cry as the sudden movement jostled his wing and sent his scars exploding with pain. However he pushed it down and bit his lip to muffle anymore noises. Smacking against the wall of the corridor Natsu forced himself to his feet and gripped Aang's wrist, pulling him higher as they ascended to the lookout of the ship. Spotting light coming in through the windows, Natsu shoved Aang ahead of him. "Go! Fly as far away as you can and don't look back!" Aang whipped open his glider and blasted out the windows, bending his knees and taking off through the shattered openings with Natsu running under him on the upper decks and cheering.

Natsu and Aang were almost to the railings when something rammed into the half-dragon's back and sent him falling from the upper level to crash onto the lower deck with a shout of pain. Taru's eyes widened when he saw his Nestmate's condition and began thrashing, making the soldiers around him ready their bending to attack.

Vision blurry and back sending off small explosions of pain from the landing, Natsu cracked his eyes open to see Aang's orange form swooping lower to grab him- he wanted to scream at the little q-ball to just _fly the hell away_ \- what the young Airbender _didn't_ see was the scar-faced Firebender jumping off the Crow's Nest, successfully within distance to grab onto Aang's ankle when he came close enough and drag him back down to the ship. Natsu grit his teeth and pushed himself up, fire curling around his mouth and heating his skin. "Dammit, Aang! I told you to get away from here!"

The Avatar's head whipped back and glared at the older boy grey eyes burning with frustration. "And I told _you_ I'm not leaving you or Taru here!" A wave of fire came at the Avatar and Aang used his staff to deflect it. Suddenly a familiar smell reached Natsu's nose and he jolted upright, pain nearly forgotten as the scent filled his heart with hope. Zuko, facing the opposite direction of Aang and Natsu paused and looked at the sky in confusion.

"What is _that?_ "

A grown reached Aang's ears and the boy cheered. "It's Appa!" Kikitaru roared lowly in greeting while Natsu cackled gleefully. "About time your giant fur-ball learned to fly again!" Zuko grit his teeth and growled, shooting fire more and more rapidly at the Airbender. Aang was knocked closer and closer to the edge of the boat and Natsu's eyes widened. "Aang look out-!" With two final blasts, Zuko knocked Aang's staff away and then pushed the boy off the edge of the boat.

Natsu gawked as his brother vanished over the edge and splashed into the freezing waters below.

The half-dragon couldn't _breathe_.

His heart thundered in his chest as he watched Scarface peer over the edge with a vague look of disappointment on his face, as if he wanted a different outcome but it couldn't be helped. He could hear Katara screaming his brother's name. the sound of fore and thunder and lightning crashed and roared in Natsu's ears and something inside of him _snapped_.

With a scream Natsu went up in flames. The scars he'd gotten from the lightning strike lit up in a brilliant display of pulsing gold and orange just as a bluish white light shone from the waves below. Lightning and fire crackled over Natsu's body, connecting the scar marks in arcs of energy as an animalistic growl rippled from the Protector's chest. His eyes were no longer green but shifted with yellow, red, orange and black, becoming almost lava-like and he fell forwards on all fours and carved gouges into the metal sheets of the deck of the ship.

His face was contorted in a ferocious snarl as his wings flared and the sceathers elongated to become jagged, razor-sharp, and producing a rattling sound that had Zuko on edge.

A primal part of his human brain knew that this was a predator, one that had its sights set on him and wasn't happy about seeing him.

From the blue glow in the ocean Aang re-emerged on a waterspout, Waterbending and controlling it as if it was his prime element while Natsu arched his back, wings spreading wide and the glowing golden marks thrumming with power that made a strange hum as the aura of yellow lightning and red flames surrounded him. Standing up and flapping his wings to lift off and hover beside the Avatar, the Protector and the Avatar moved as one; one controlling an extension of an element and a core one while the other one of the main four. The Avatar sent the icy brine towards the deck of the ship, soaking all the soldiers who were there or sending them into the water. The water amplified Natsu's lightning and with a deafening _crash_ , a breath of lightning escaped the half dragons mouth and slammed into the ship, conducted by the salt water and electrifying everything on the deck save for Taru. The attack sent nearly every Firebender on the ship overboard with a scream ripping from their lips, even the Prince. As Aang lowered himself on his waterspout to the ship Natsu flapped just behind him, a branch of lightning escaping his jaws as he clicked his mouth shut and ejected a jet of steam from between his fangs. As he did the golden lines that were his scars pulsed softly, a steady beat almost like the thumping of a heart weaving in the air as his lava-light gaze swept over the field of conflict.

Finally deeming themselves safe for now a low growl thrummed from the half dragon's chest before both blue and yellow completely faded and the two crashed to the deck wearily. While Aang was out of it Natsu managed to blink and clear the golden light from his eyes before looking around to regain his bearings. Looking up and seeing Appa with his two passengers then looking over the edge to see several Fire Nation soldiers still stranded in the water Natsu had a choice to make.

Either keep his dragon honor intact, try to protect his brother from afar and stay here... or go with Aang and the others, keep close and fulfill that small part of him that is the Protector of the Avatar.

 _But_ , a voice said in the back of his mind. _With Katara and Sokka there, does Aang_ really _need you there constantly? There are other duties that a Protector must fulfill, Little Spitfire._ Natsu's eyes widened slightly. _Laing…?_ The Black Dragon's chuckle echoed through Natsu's mind. _Follow your heart, Spitfire…_ _Where the Avatar cannot do so for himself,_ you _must do it for him..._

Forcing himself to his feet, Natsu grabbed Aang and dragged him to Taru. Using his strength and heat to melt or snap the chains holding the blue dragon down he unchained Taru and gently laid Aang down onto a taloned paw. "Get him out of here then come back… we have a mess to clean up and our word to keep." With a growl the blue dragon lifted off into the sky towards the Sky Bison. Natsu looked around the ship and saw more Firebenders were coming, but had been observing him and Taru warily for a while.

Not wanting to choose between fighting them and saving their people, Natsu limped to the railing of the ship while holding his right shoulder- the fall from earlier did jolt it pretty badly and the residual pain wasn't helping matters. Taking a breath, Natsu jumped overboard and shakily spread his wings out to glide unsteadily towards the water behind the ship, seeing the thrashing armored men's movements slowly becoming slower and slower as the cold set in.

Grabbing onto their armor Natsu landed in the water as gently as he could and began paddling towards an ice raft a few yards away- where the prince was standing with a couple other pf the soldiers. "W-why are you h-helping us?" one chattered as the half dragon hauled him onto the raft. Natsu blinked before huffing and turning away to look at his image in the water.

It's the first time in a long while he actually stopped and looked at himself. People like the Air Nomads and his mother didn't judge him for his appearances, but in this new world he and Aang found themselves in that wouldn't be the case at all. Sharp teeth poked from his lips and scales ran over his cheekbones. The scarring that extended to his face left ugly trails over the scales and skin that he traced with his eyes and fingers as he looked at his reflection. Finally, Natsu let out a sigh and looked out at the horizon. "…Just because I _look_ like a monster, doesn't mean I _am_ one." lifting his face to the sky where Aang and the others were still hovering Natsu nodded to his brother and cupped his hands around his mouth.

"Find out what happened, Aang!" he shouted. "Find out what's going on with this crazy world we found ourselves in, and _fix_ it. Taru and I will catch up with you later… hopefully!"

With one last moment of hesitancy, Aang directed Appa to fly away, leaving Kikitaru to swoop down towards the six Firebenders marooned on the ice raft. "If you wanna get back to the ship, get on the dragon." Kikitaru snorted and glared at the foreign humans, likely still very displeased that he was put in chains.

 ** _«Calm down, Taru,»_ **Natsu chided in dragon-tongue. **_«_ A promise is a promise. _»_ t**urning back to the soldiers, Natsu tacked on, "He won't hurt you, not unless I'm attacked or he's attacked first." The two clambered onto his back and secured themselves for the brief flight. Before the dragon took off, Natsu asked them to tell their leader that Kikitaru was going to have to come back and get him. patting his dragon on the foreleg, Natsu watched as he flew off and came back a moment later.

When his feet landed back on the ship's deck, he had the leader of this little invasion- who had been on the first trip to the ship- waiting for him. "Why didn't you escape with the Avatar?" he asked angrily. Natsu shrugged, tugging on the strange collar. "I promised _I_ wouldn't escape, not Aang… and a dragon keeps their promises." Golden eyes traced the strange scarring trailing over the Protector's wings, shoulders, and arms as well as the old scorched hole in the center of his shirt.

Zuko scowled before turning his back. "Take him back to his cell and have three guards outside the door at all times… but leave the chains off of him."

"Wait, what's going to happen to Taru?"

Zuko paused and looked back at the beast. "What?"

The Protector took a breath and licked his lips hesitantly. "The dragon… what are you going to do with him?" Zuko eyes at the magnificent beast with it's wings weighed down by chains of iron and steel, though it was free to walk about the deck it wouldn't be flying away at all. The dragon turned its head and glared into his eyes with green orbs almost identical to the Protector's... The Protector that had kept it's- _his,_ promise even when he had the chance to run away with the Avatar... the one that saved his life and that of his men with the dragon's assistance. "…Nothing, so long as you behave like you promised." A hand landed on Natsu's shoulder and yanked him away, sending him back to the cell where he was chained in before.

"Can one of you get into Taru's saddlebags for me?" Natsu asked before the guards left. "It's just... I have a couple of instruments in there, an Ocarina and a flute. They belonged to my mother. the ocarina's got a hollow metal body with a pipe-bump thing where you blow the air in and twelve holes... and I'm hoping you know what a flute is… Can I have them at the very least?"

The guard paused for a moment before wordlessly leaving and Natsu sighed and leaned back. "Guess not…" He muttered.

Hours after he was locked back into place, Natsu heard one of the soldiers walk past his cell for the night. But when the footfalls paused and keys jingled, the half dragon looked up in surprise. The door creaked open and a leather bag was slid across the floor to bump into Natsu's tail. His eyes widened when he saw the sunset-orange metal items gleaming dark blue in the moonlight and jerked his head up in astonishment to the doorway. The guard stared back and Natsu could swear he saw the man's brown eyes looking at him with a sense of gratitude. The man turned away and shut the door, but not before muttering something.

_"For saving my life… now we're even."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aang's portion of the story… doesn't really change that much now that I think about it. I mean, now that he's separated from Natsu he's got a chance to grow and get stronger despite Natsu's role as the Protector of the Avatar. So I've decided to do brief snippets of Aang's story here and there, but in the grand scheme of things it's not until waaaaaaay later in the story- like the center of Book 2 Earth later- that things will start veering off of the main road of Canon and take a parallel line alongside it to what my story has in store.


	5. Lullabies of the Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Within the first week and a half Natsu seems to be doing alright in his imprisonment. However, a dragon in the throes of a nightmare ius cause for concern, and a peek into the past gives Natsu some possible insight he'll have to think on when it comes to the Protector... and the tragedy that inevitably comes with the job.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **  
> _«This is Dragon-Tongue»_  
>  **
> 
> "This is normal speak."
> 
> _'This is thinking'_
> 
> **"Natsu's attacks"**
> 
> **{** This is when a character is in a flashback or vision **}**

=›◊‹=

Natsu purred lowly in his chest- too low for the human ear to discern- as he tapped his tail against the wall of the cell languidly, listening to the breathing of a wizened elder as he sat in his cage. Iroh was an interesting character to be sure; Natsu had detected no deceit or ill will from him in the time he had been on this ship. Actually, things had been fairly quiet since Aang's escape about a week and a half prior save for the brief bouts of action where Zuko would storm into the cell and interrogate him on Aang's whereabouts. Aside from that as far as hospitality was concerned the half dragon had no complaints- some of the soldiers were a bit growly over being shoved overboard but they paid him back by not giving him his meals when it was their shift to do so- a hungry belly spanning two or three days or so was nothing Natsu couldn't handle after all.

The half dragon hadn't seen much of the scarred guy either but Iroh had made a habit of sitting in the cell with Natsu to just talk, play a game of Pai Sho or even simply listen to Natsu's rhythmic rapping of his tail against the walls of the prison he was situated in… like he was doing today. As Natsu let out a sigh his eyes slid to the Ocarina and flute in the corner; he hadn't played either yet out of fear of them being taken away… but that fear was slowly dwindling as he became used to his situation and changed into boredom as more time went by. Right now the moon was up, sending silver beams through the window.

"You play this strange instrument and the flute?"

Natsu blinked and looked up at Iroh, the old man smiling gently towards the boy and nodding at the satchel of leather settled carefully in a corner. "Yes, actually… the ocarina was a gift from my father to my mother before she gave it to me, and the flute was hers as well. It was a gift on my 12th birthday…" Iroh hummed and reached over to the instruments. Picking them both up carefully, he turned the ocarina over as if examining it before handing it and the flute over to Natsu- he had sat up abruptly to keep an eye on the old man handling his most valuble items. "Would you do me the honor of playing something, then?" Raising an eyebrow Natsu took the woodwinds hesitantly and sat up straight, his wings rustling as he moved them into a more comfortable position. "Why? Don't you have someone to play music on the ship?" Iroh chuckled. "My nephew saw no use for something like music and denied any of the musicians who volunteered to accompany us."

Brown eyes looked out at the sea through the window sadly and Natsu leaned away when he saw the man was telling the truth. "…If I can walk around and get some fresh air outside every once and a while, I'll play as much as you want." Natsu did miss the wind, despite his lack of complaints _. A dragon unable to so much as see the sky isn't a dragon at all- he'd be a snake_ , as the old saying went. Iroh nodded pleasantly and stood, knocking on the door to get the guards there. "That sounds reasonable." One of the men opened the door and Iroh stepped out before turning and waiting for Natsu to follow. The half dragon held his treasured items tightly as he padded over the threshold and glanced around the corridor. "Do you have anything in particular you want to listen to?" the winged boy asked as Iroh led him to the exit. The old man shook his head. "I have no requests, so you play what you wish."

Natsu smiled softly as a particular tune came to mind, one his father, mother, or auntie sang when he was still a hatchling trying to fall asleep himself- especially after a nightmare or if he was being too fussy. As the two and their entourage reached the first set of steps a sudden roar made the ship tremble. Shouting came from the deck above and Natsu's eyes widened when he smelled the sudden fear and anguish rolling through the air.

 _Taru_.

Leaping over Iroh the half dragon bounded up the stairs, fluttering his wings to close more distance despite the stiffness and pain it gave him. Natsu heard orders being yelled the closer he got, the shouts of _"Bind it tighter!"_ and _"Tie it down!"_ making his blood burn with rage. Breaking through the door and into the fresh air Natsu saw Taru writhing around the deck of the ship and keening in pain and fear, but there was no trace of blood or anything that could _cause_ him any physical pain… then Natsu saw his flame-brother's eyes- they were squeezed shut and rolling under the flaps of skin. Natsu clenched a clawed hand and sighed sadly.

Kikitaru was in the throes of a nightmare- a really bad one by the looks of it.

Moments later Zuko came storming up from below deck with his face murderous and looking for someone to holler at. "What in Agni's name is going on?!" he demanded an answer and a voice he hadn't heard from in a week and a half answered. "He's having a nightmare… everything must've finally caught up with him." Spinning around the banished prince saw the tense form of the Protector _somehow_ out of his cell. "Why are you out of your cell?!" The Protector merely scoffed, already tired of the prince's dragon dung and this was the first time he'd seen him in a week and a half. "Your uncle was kind enough to strike a deal with me- If I'm allowed to walk around on deck sometimes, I'll play a tune for some of the time I'm out here." Another thrash from the chained dragon rocked the ship again. This time Taru had the whole vessel listing slightly to the left and causing several men to slide.

Natsu dug his talons into the metal to keep his footing and caught whoever slid his way. Before the prince could shout at him to fix the situation the Protector raised a hand. "Tell your guards to back away. I'm going to calm him down, but the beginning is gonna get a bit rough."

Zuko's eyebrow twitched but after ducking a tail coming in from out of nowhere he begrudgingly followed instructions. Iroh stood back and watched the actions being taken with a critical eye.

When every Firebender aside from Natsu was clear the half-dragon backed up ten large paces before taking a running start. Jumping high, Natsu gripped a horn on Taru's head and was suddenly a contender in a wrestling match. In Dragon-Tongue he began shouting at his flame-brother while being tossed about and struggling to pin the blue dragon's head to the deck in a firm hold. What he was speaking the dragons and those who lived among them could understand, but to the humans who haven't seen a dragon or lived in their midst of society it was a rolling garble of familiar words and grunting roars.

 _ **«Taru, ochitsuku! Anata have akumu o motte imasu!»**_ The dragon let out a wild and feral keen before it suddenly bucked, throwing Natsu into the wall with a grunt of pain and a stomach-turning _crunch_ that made even Zuko flinch. The smell of blood stung Natsu's nose but he didn't pay it any mind- _'Someone must have gotten hurt before I made it up here_ ,' he reasoned.

Natsu sucked in a breath and unleashed a torrent of fire onto the dragon's blue scales, heat waves rippling the air and distorting the view of the stars. At first Iroh thought Natsu was harming the dragon but as more fire was being blown over its form its thrashing grew less and less in strength and a low moaning- not one of pain but one of _longing_ \- became audible from the creature. Natsu cut off the flow of fire and shakily stood before limping swiftly over once more and grabbing the black horns a second time. Digging his talons into the deck once more Natsu let out a shout _**«Taru, anata ga see mono wa subete honmonode wa arimasen!»**_ Natsu tensed, his muscles flexing as he prepared for the last resort to waking the anguished dragon. _**«Open o akete, Taru!»**_ With a large heave the much smaller half dragon lifted his full dragon brother's head before slamming it down onto the deck with a resonating _thud_ that sent the dragon's green eyes snapping open.

Tears welled up in the larger green eyes and Natsu's hands moved from their grip on Taru's horns to cradle his jowls gently, stroking the scales and fur softly with his thumbs and murmuring quietly to the distressed creature. _**«Sore wa alright... Shizumarimashita… Koko ni iru yo. Big nīsan wa koko ni iru.»**_

Iroh looked on as the dragon proceeded to make several rolling and guttural noises towards the young half dragon- some he could pick out as actual words, some he couldn't but was absolutely positive was a different language. _**«**_ _**Min'na moe teta, Natsu! Mother to oba to chichi to Uncle to sensei to watashitachi no yūjin-tachi! Watashitachi no chi de oyogu tame ni watashitachi zen'in o koroshite iru yoroi no ningen ga imashita! Watashi wa moete hurt, anata wa moete hurt, sore wa totemo itakatta! Kaminari to lightning to ame ga ari, sore wa hidoku moemashita! Watashi wa – watashi-!»**_

A low rumble shook the deck under the crew's feet. Zuko raised an eyebrow at the hunched figure of the half dragon as he leaned further down and pressed his forehead against the furry scaly brow of the dragon he held. The prince tilted his head, listening in as best he could. "Shhhh… It's alright, hush now. Brother's here… It was just a bad dream, Brightwing, it's alright." The dragon moaned and pressed into the Protector's chest, almost as if it were trying to hide itself. Glowing green eyes flickered up to bore into the prince's own burning gaze, defiance pulsing in the viridian lights within. "I'm staying up here tonight."

Zuko scowled. "How do I know you won't try to-?" Natsu grit his teeth and stood sharply, wobbling a bit as a sudden headache swept through his skull. Even so he concentrated on keeping contact with his fire-brother the whole while. "Unless you want to capsize this boat with my little brother's night terrors you _will_ let me stay up here! I've catered to your demands, now all I ask is that you let me comfort him when he needs it!" Zuko scoffed. "I thought your brother was the Avatar, and anyways if a creature as strong as a dragon can't handle a small nightmare then it's no better than a lamb-gecko."

A fist wreathed in silver fire smashed into the ship's deck, making the men around them jump. "Anyone under my wing, be it a dragon, human, or even as you say it a _Lamb-Gecko_ , is family to me. I'm in charge of their safety, even if they're the danger to themselves. I don't care if you drag me back to that cell and lock me in chains, I'll find a way to break out and be with Taru if you won't let me of your own free will."

Clashing gold and emerald glared at each other before Iroh deemed it appropriate to interject. "Zuko this young man has done what he's promised to do thus far. I think we can grant him this much, yes?" the prince growled before narrowing his eyes. without averting his gaze he called for a soldier. "Bring me a chair."

Natsu snorted, fire coming from his nose as he rolled his eyes. "You can't take my word for it now, even if you have so far? Has all that fire gone to your brain and made you that hot-headed?" a low whimper cut off whatever Natsu wanted to say next and he sighed, actually seeming to droop. His shoulders slumped as he looked at Taru's long serpentine body giving off small tremors here and there. "Look, Firefly-." Zuko jolted and scowled even harder, if it were possible. " _What_ did you just call-?!"

"Just let me stay with him until he falls asleep again." That made Zuko fall silent again. The look in the Protector's eyes was defeated, but still determined if that were possible. Silently the prince looks at the Protector a few beats longer before sitting down on the chair brought for him.

Taking that as the go-ahead Natsu sits cross-legged on the deck, easily lifting Taru's large head to settle into his lap. The half dragon's tail curled around the two and rested on the blue dragon's muzzle.

 _ **«Okaasan… no komori-uta, Natsu o utaemasu ka?»**_ a rough chuckle was the blue dragon's answer before sharp claws scratched gently behind large deer-like ears. "Sure, Brightwing."

Iroh leaned forwards as those still on the deck grew silent. The very air and sea seemed to be holding its breath, the waves lapping gently along the iron and steel sides of the ship. Then a flicker of blue and violet fire sprang to life in Natsu's claws. Looking at the colors fondly the half dragon sighed before holding his cupped hands out and letting the embers flutter around those among them. Zuko narrowed his eyes into suspicious slits and tensed, leaning forwards after his uncle to prepare for any strike that could follow after.

A fleck of pulsing purple fluttered in front of the prince before turning into a small purple dragin before his eyes.

Then with a soft hum, Natsu began to sing.

**Dream by night,**

**Wish by day…**

**Love begins this way~**

**Night's a friend,**

**With love to send,**

**Each new day~…**

Natsu's gaze flicked to his audience as if seeing if they were still there- eyes of varying warm colors and hues were staring at him wide-eyes as his tenor-baritone rolled from his lips. The fire sparks he'd set was a little trick Auntie taught him to help himself and the other younger dragons to calm down- with 'Firefly' being a royal pain in the ass, the half dragon figured it would do the job long enough to put Taru back to sleep.

**Bless you heart,**

**Bless you soul,**

**Let good dreams come true.**

**Future songs and flying dreams,**

**Wait for you~**

Iroh had asked for the boy to play something, but this wasn't like any tune or music he had heard before. It soothed the troubled parts of his mind as a lullaby should but it didn't seem as though it had originated from the Fire Nation at all nor from any other part of the world that he knew of. Even so, it was beautiful coming from the mouth of the dragon boy.

**Love it seems made flying dreams,**

**So hearts could soar~**

**Heaven sent these wings were meant,**

**To prove once more,**

**That love is the key…**

Natsu picked up the flute and brought it to his lips, playing the soothing tune his mother and auntie had sung or played to him. Taru was no longer shaking and instead ws trying to keep his eyes open. Natsu smirked through his playing. ' _Yeah, sorry bro,'_ he thought. _'Once it has you this song can put even a rhino-lizard to sleep.'_

Zuko would be lying if he denied that the Protector had a pleasant voice- it was surprisingly soothing to hear the underlying purrs and rippling growls. His eyes focused on a small whisp of blue that was in the shape of a dragon. If flew towards the purple shape that had been floating in a small spiral in front of him and started to dance with the violet apparition.

**As you wish as you will,**

**Dream a flying start.**

The low rumbles that signified Taru's fall into sleep were prominent by the time the sing was nearly done. Natsu ran one last stroke down Kikitaru's cheek before gently lifting the dragon's head and setting it tenderly back onto the ship's surface. He ran a wing over his snout as he slid his tail off and leaned over one more time to press his forehead against his brother's.

**Love and care,**

**The power's there,**

**Trust your heart…**

**Trust your heart~…**

Taru was out now and Natsu sighed as he stood. With a quiet snap of the fingers the small embers went out all around the deck and plunged everything into the light of the moon. The half dragon turned away after a moment longer of looking at the slumbering dragon and looked at the gobsmacked prince's expression.

Taru was out now and Natsu sighed as he stood. With a quiet snap of the fingers the small embers went out all around the deck and plunged everything into the light of the moon. The half dragon turned away after a moment longer of looking at the slumbering dragon and looked at the gobsmacked prince's expression.

"Well? I told you I'd go back once he fell asleep so let's go." Natsu began his trek back to the cell he's called home, ignoring the murmurs of Zuko as he descended the stairs to the lower levels. With every rock of the ship Natsu was unsteady and had to support himself against the wall but with the assistance of a guard they made it to his cell. _'Funny,'_ he thought absently. _'My cell doesn't smell like herds and linens…?'_ the sounds of voices faded in and out before a shout of alarm pierced through the half dragon's growing haze. A bit too late though, because darkness swallowed the vision of the Protector and he knew no more.

=›◊‹=

**{** _Natsu opened his eyes to see a landscape very familiar to him- where young dragons go to prove themselves, the poisonous crags of the Fire Nation's volcanoes. There was a tense thrum in the air, as if something was very wrong, and the half dragon looked to the west where the southern volcano's slope ran down towards the ocean._ **}**

_Avatar Roku was surrounded by a cloud of ash, sulfuric fumes, and poisonous gas. Another man and his dragon, this one a dark, almost black blue color, was standing a ways ahead. His mouth was moving but Natsu couldn't make out the words. Then the man with his darker dragon flew away and left Roku and his Red there. The previous Avatar's red dragon then curled around the fire-born Avatar as they were slowly being buried under lava, rock, and soot- an agonizing death to be sure for those who weren't dragons. Even with a dragons armor the acidic fumes and poison air around them could make them succumb._

_A man with jet-black hair and ruby-red eyes clad in an Earth Kingdom's Dai Lee uniform then appeared, bursting from the side of the volcano covered in burns and molten rock, the remnants of his clothes smoldering as he staggered over to the dying Avatar and stood over him. Natsu could see tears streaking the dust and ash that caked his skin._

_The dull glow of what must have been the melting of iron studs embedded into his face could barely be made out and when the volcano behind them erupted completely he let out a beastial roar of rage and agony. Earthy plates formed on his skin and swiftly changed into a strange shining armor. With a powerful punch to the ground, the earth shook and more stone fell in an attempt to make a wall. Avatar Roku's dragon stared sadly at the man with a single golden eye and the man's red gaze met it head on. The age-wizened creature knew that the wall was pointless as tongues of lava trickled through the haphazardly made construct._

**"The next cycle will right this, Red. I'll make sure of it."** _he croaked, a shaking iron-covered hand petting the dragon gently._ **"Even if I have to push myself to the front of the next Protector's mind to do it, I promise on my spirit... they won't get away with this."** _Pressing his body into the dragon's snout as a final farewell, the three vanished under the wave of lava without a sound._

=›◊‹=

The next morning the chains of Natsu's cell were melted to unsalvageable lumps and the more human skin of his arms were pinker than usual.

On the other side of the ocean, Aang is just snapping out of the strange state he was thrown in during his escape, held by Katara as he wept before the bones of Monk Gyatso found in the crumbling remains of his and Natsu's old home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little fun fact for my improvised language of Dragon-Tongue/Draconian: It's actually a mix of the Japanese, Korean, and English languages- Japanese would have been well and good, but predictable with a dragon of A:tLA's appearance. Korean is a less-chosen language people seem to want to learn in our world and English because I want something familiar there. It would sound a bit choppy, guttural at best when spoken with the rolling tongues and accents that possibly comes with the vocal chords of a dragon and a combo of Japanese and English and yet still sound malleable and give a very very VERY minuscule window of translation to those who know the Chinese language well (i.e. the A:tLA world's main lingo).
> 
> Anyways, leave reviews PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE leave reviews! If it's good, bad or in between let us know!
> 
> Translations!:
> 
> 1- «Taru, ochitsuku! Anata have akumu o motte imasu!» - Taru, open your eyes! You're having a nightmare!
> 
> 2- «Taru, anata ga see mono wa subete honmonode wa arimasen!»- Taru, what you see isn't real!
> 
> 3- «Open o akete, Taru!» - Open your eyes, Taru!
> 
> 4- «Sore wa alright... Shizumarimashita… Koko ni iru yo. Big nīsan wa koko ni iru…» - It is alright… Calm down… I'm right here. Big brother is right here…
> 
> 5- « Min'na moe teta, Natsu! Mother to oba to chichi to Uncle to sensei to watashitachi no yūjin-tachi! Watashitachi no chi de oyogu tame ni watashitachi zen'in o koroshite iru yoroi no ningen ga imashita! Watashi wa moete hurt, anata wa moete hurt, sore wa totemo itakatta! Kaminari to lightning to ame ga ari, sore wa hidoku moemashita! Watashi wa – watashi-!»-
> 
> Everyone was burning, Natsu! Mother and Father Auntie and Uncle and Teacher. There were men in armor killing us and bathing in our blood! You were hurt and I was too, there was lightning and thunder and you were protecting me but you got hit and you were screaming! I-I-!
> 
> 6- «Natsu? Sono uta no haha to obasan ga watashitachi ni utatte kuremashita ka?» Natsu? Can you sing that song mother and Auntie sang to us?
> 
> ________________
> 
> If you guys can guess the name of the song and where it's from Malware and I will do a quadruple update in one day for the next update!


	6. Listen, Listen (You Cannot Hear My Name)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Natsu has a strange dream and must face consequences once again for forming a Dragon Bind with the enemy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This brings some insight to more that The Protector does.

**{** _Natsu opened his eyes to see converging landscapes of a forest waterfall, cliff, volcanoes, and mountain. The air pulsed with energy and the ground smelled of life and healing._ “So, you’ve finally come.” _Natsu jerked and looked to the right. A young girl with blue hair and webbed wings growing small feathers fluttered down from the cliff areas. She looked young, no older than Aang was. She turned to the cave where the mountains, waterfall, and volcanoes began and her eyebrows came together._ “But it’s not time yet…” _Natsu felt something tug at his navel and he grunted._ “What do you mean? Who are you?” _the girl glanced back at Natsu for a split second before answering- at least he thought she was answering. When the girl opened her mouth no sound came through, only the sounds of the wind blowing harder and the thundering of a storm coming in._ “All I heard was a storm,” _Natsu said, tilting his head in confusion._ “Can you speak up?”

 _The blue-haired girl sighed, looking a bit downcast._ “You aren’t ready to hear my name, it would seem…” _the tugging in Natsu’s gut got stronger, more insistent. This time he let out a yelp as it dragged him back a bit and had his talons carving furrows into the rock under him._ “Take heed of this warning, Protector of the Last Air-Born; where he is unable to express his emotions due to his stance as both an Avatar and a Monk of the Air Nomads, _you_ who is born of Flame and Dragon bear the most heavy burden- both yours and his emotions- this makes you more dangerous than he as your emotions can become wild and untamed in your desire to protect not just the Avatar, but _everyone_ , as time goes onwards.” _The half dragon gasped as he was pulled off his feet by one last and legitimately painful pull and suddenly found himself falling into the yawning cave behind him._

“Emotion is the Protector’s greatest strength… and their greatest weakness. Be on your guard, Protector Natsu, and be careful of with whom you evoke a _Dragon’s Bind_ with.”

 _Natsu fell into the tunnel, the walls of grey and brown fading into an amalgamation of color and elemental turmoil. Grey gained a silver sheen and began to shine with motes of iron. Iron spun around him before being blown away by air-_ black _air. No, not black…_ Shadows. _As he fell even deeper, a deep thumping resonated in his ears- his heartbeat. It got louder and louder and louder._

**_Thump-thud_ **

**_Thump-thud_ **

**_Thump-thud_ **

**_Thump-!_ }**

=›◊‹=

Natsu was jolted awake to the sound of the bars of his cell being hammered on. Blinking groggily he looked up to see a guard holding chains with a single large cuff at the end. “We’ll be making a stop for repairs in about an hour,” the man said gruffly. Natsu blinked the sleep grit from his eyes before shifting his gaze to the chains rattling in the man’s hand. “Ookay… and what are those for?” metal chains clanked as the man tossed them into the cell. “Put the shackle around your neck. Prince Zuko’s orders.” The sudden realization of what was being asked of him made Natsu’s guts churn in humiliation and he hissed like a pricklesnake, scales rustling as they rose with his anger.

They wanted him on a _collar_ and _leash_ like some **dog**. The dragon boy opened his mouth to say just exactly how he felt about that when he paused and remembered the promises he made. _“As long as Aang’s alright I won’t fight, I won’t run. I’ll even let you chain me like an animal or monster if you want…”_ _‘Curse the promises I make in desperation’_ he snarled at himself mentally. He recalled why it was exactly he couldn’t break his promises now- it wasn’t a matter of pride, but he physically couldn’t due to the _Dragon’s_ Bind- a powerful oath dragons could evoke in times of great change or trouble… _and_ _Natsu had evoked it the moment he promised obedience to the burnt chicken-squirrel._ Even as his eyes burned with humiliation he lifted his chin in a show of submission and allowed the guard to snap the collar and chain-leash onto his neck.

Raising a hand to grip subconsciously at the binding Natsu paused when he felt something soft wrapped around his head. “What’s this?” he muttered. “You were hurt trying to calm your dragon down two nights ago, if you don’t remember,” the guard answered. “The prince ordered that you be taken to the medic on board to be treated.” With that as his answer Natsu was tugged out of the cell. Squinting at the sudden sunlight invading his eyes the dragon boy looked around the deck of the ship as men went back and forth with crates and other things. He saw Taru spreading his wings with a pleased purr before sending a greeting bark towards Natsu, who answered in kind.

“Aah, you’re awake!” Natsu turned to see Iroh striding forwards with Zuko at his side, scowly as ever. “Yeah, but I have a bit of a problem being led around like I’m a pet.” Zuko let out a _humph_. “You said as long as the Avatar is ‘safe’, I could do what I wanted with you- since I assume safe means out of my hands or uninjured by me in any way, I am still following through with this promise you’ve made.” The banished prince let his eyes linger for a moment on the bandage speckled with red wrapped around the Protector’s head before looking away. Eyebrows furrowed as the customary frown set in deeper. “We need to stop and make repairs at a nearby port. While I’m letting your dragon roam free on the grounds that you tell him to return when the ship’s horn sounds, I don’t trust you to not try and get away. Thus the ‘collar and leash’.” Natsu scowled and leaned against the wall as his ‘leash’ was pulled gently by the guard who still had it in hand.

“Y’know, if I _wanted_ to get away I would have just let Taru wreck your boat and then I would’ve flown off on him with you as my prisoner to find Aang. Or best case for me is that I drop your sorry ass into the ocean when we get far enough out.”

Zuko growled and sent a burst of fire into Natsu’s face as a warning but the half dragon merely lifted an arm and allowed the display to pass over harmlessly. When the tongues of orange and yellow dissipated Natsu slowly lowered his arm to glare dangerously at the human. “I’m _not_ scared of you, _Firefly_.” The Protector snarled. He stepped forwards, his taloned dragon feet grinding against the metal of the ship as he moved while the chain clinked and jangled as he raised the length between himself and Jee. “The only reason I’m even still here is because I promised I wouldn’t try to escape, and I keep my promises.” The angry snarl on Natsu’s lips slowly turned into a sinister grin. “I said _nothing_ about not making your trip a living nightmare while I’m stuck on this raft, though… so watch your back.”

Zuko’s scowl gave way to a smirk and he nodded to the guard holding his chain. The man yanked, making the half dragon yelp as he was unexpectedly jerked the opposite way he wished to go and fall to a knee before the prince’s feet. “You seem to be forgetting who is in control here, _Protector_. As it stands, I _own_ you if all your talk of keeping your ‘promise’ is as you say. You forfeit all rights to your freedom the moment you said you wouldn’t run, fight back, or object when I did what I wished with you. You _will_ do as I instruct you or you _will_ face the consequences for disobedience!”

For the first time in a very long time Natsu was well and truly _angry_. The fire inside his belly churned, boiled and flared at the truth and injustice this guy was making him eat, the _humiliation_ of being no better than a dog. Natsu stood and glared right into the prince’s eyes, but didn’t say anything back. Green clashed with gold before the half dragon snorted a plume of smoke and turned away, wings flaring as flame wisped from the feathered ends while his tail trailed fire when he moved to sit against the wall. Zuko scoffed at the submission this creature portrayed and turned to walk away.

“…I thought I smelled something under your longing and anger, something that showed you were actually _human_ and looking to be good.”

The Protector’s voice made the banished prince pause.

“I guess my nose mislead me for the first time in my life…”

Iroh gave a long look of regret towards the half dragon while Zuko stood still before continuing on his way. He attempted to block out the words echoing in his head but he kept hearing it. It was odd to hear the defiant voice sound so defeated but Zuko couldn’t let that get to him now, not when he had an Avatar to find and capture, not when he was on the road to going _home_.

Thus the prince looked ahead to the Fire Nation settlement in the Earth Kingdom they would be landing at, trying to ignore the Protector’s words.

=›◊‹=

The Protector grunted as Lieutenant Jee, who had a handle on the leash, pulls him along behind the Zuko. The dragon had spread its wings once the shackles were off but instead of flying it dove into the ocean. When asked about it the Protector merely looked Zuko dead in the eyes and said “This is a port town island, not a full-on forest. It won’t have anything he could eat enough of to be fully sated so he’s fishing.”

With the reasoning sound enough for Zuko’s liking he walked off the ship and onto land. “I want the repairs finished as soon as possible,” he said over his shoulder. “Now that the Avatar is out there it’s impossible that the other Fire Navy ships and armadas wouldn’t spot him if they just look up, and I don’t want them getting in the way-.”

“Getting in the way of what, exactly?”

The Protector stiffened, nose twitching before a wary gleam settled in his eyes and he turned to see the speaker as Zuko and Iroh did. The prince’s mouth tilted downwards as he straightened. “Captain Zhao.” He said, the barest hint of courtesy in his tone. The man’s eyes were the color of muddy earth, a mocking leer on his face. “It’s _commander_ now, actually, Prince Zuko. And General Iroh, great hero of our nation.” Iroh bowed in return. “Retired now.” Zhao’s eyes glanced over to the captured Protector and his eyes widened in shock. “Oh my… that’s quite the specimen you have, there… where did you find it?” the gleam in Zhao’s eyes made Zuko tense for some reason- it was an appraisal, like someone looking a prized ostrich-horse or komodo-rhino to purchase or…

“We appreciate you letting us make land on your harbor,” Uncle said, a tad bit forcefully. Zhao’s unsettling demeanor did a one-eighty once the attention was back to Iroh. “Of course, the prince and the Nation’s greatest general are allowed to dock. What brings you to my harbor?”

Zuko heard the Protector snort. “Blind as a Badger-Mole, this one.” the being muttered. Zhao’s gaze flickered back towards the dragon boy with a slight sneer on his face. Zuko took that moment to interject. “We need repairs.” Zhao’s eyebrows raised as he scanned the extent of the ship’s condition. “That’s a lot of damage…” he murmured. “What happened?”

_Agni above, how to get out of this mess?_

“Like it?”

The Protector’s smug voice made the three Firebenders turn towards him. the being was leaning against the ramp, tail waving like a pleased sandcat that caught the canary. “That bit’s my handiwork,” He pointed a claw to some long scratch marks the peeled the metal back like parchment near the railing. “And that over there,” a scorch mark that had warped the metal near the front of the ship. “And that too.” A rather large dent in the metal that had the ship sporting the largest damage- a gaping hole. Zhao’s eyes widened as Zuko and Iroh stared at the Protector. Green draconian eyes flicked to the two he’d been stuck with, conflict simmering in the bright forest emeralds before he looked back towards Zhao. ‘ _This guy gives me the creeps,’_ Natsu thought to himself. _‘At least Firefly doesn’t look at me like I’m a breeder ostrich-horse or something… and honestly if it comes down to Aang being captured by this guy or the prince, I’d pick the prince. At least I can help him get away at a closer range.’_

“It was fun… but as per a pretty annoying advantage called _Dragon’s Bind_ , I gave my word I’d stay with the prince… he got me down, sooo… yeah.”

Zhao gave Zuko a look before humming.

“Well then, Prince Zuko you must regale me with this _fascinating_ tale. After all, wrangling a creature this powerful must have come with a price.” The Commander got in close with the prince and something in Natsu whispered insistently to be on his guard. Stepping forwards in a puff of dust that betrayed his sudden heightened speed, a large wing was suddenly thrown up between the commander and the prince. Zuko’s eyes went wide while Natsu just stared flatly at Zhao, green gaze narrowed in warning and a puff of fire jetting from the corners of his mouth. The prince stepped back for a moment before catching the Protector’s eye- there was something that made the prince trust the being’s judgment in getting between the commander and himself despite their altercation earlier. Gesturing for Jee to hand over the Protector’s leash the man did so and Zuko tugged- albeit this time a tad more gently- getting the Protector to follow him and earning a disgruntled _“Yeah, yeah_ ”. “Sorry, but we’re busy.” Iroh grabbed Zuko’s arm. “Zuko, show Zhao some respect. He is allowing us to make repairs, so the least we can do is accept his offer for a drink.”

Natsu groaned, leaning his head back and rocking onto his tail in exasperation to sit in that strange way. “If that’s the case, this is gonna take _forever_ …” he muttered.

Zuko growled and let loose wisps of fire before following his uncle and the commander while tugging the Protector along.

=›◊‹=

“Hey, Zuko.” The prince paused hearing his name come from the Protector’s mouth. “I don’t like Zhao… he gives me the creeps.” The prince scoffed as he changed into more casual attire for the evening. “I don’t recall asking your opinion on this matter, _Protector_.” Natsu scowled and leaned against a wall. “First of all, I have a name- one you never bothered to ask for, and it’s _Natsu_ by the way- and secondly, all I’m saying is that he’s up to something. If I’m being honest, I’d rather _you_ capture my brother instead of Zhao if I had a choice other than help him get away every time- the guy doesn’t smell right… not like-.” Natsu paused and worried his lower lip. _Not like your scent_ was what he wanted to say.

Zuko smelled like anger and rage, yes, but it was the kind of anger and rage that had stemmed from something outside his control, something that he could guess had to do with the scar on his face. Zhao smelled like deceit, pain-giving and greed, three scents that when brought together became an amalgamation sour and sickly sweet, comparable to rotting fruit. Zuko, despite what Natsu had observed so far about him and had been through when against him before, _didn’t_ want to cause serious pain to most people- emphasis on _most_. Burn their homes and threaten, sure, but hurt seriously? Not really, not unless he had to- even if the fuse was short as a minnow fish.

 _“He nearly killed Aang at the South Pole,”_ the voice in his head said lowly, but Natsu shook his head. “What I’m trying to say is that even if I’m your prisoner first and foremost I am a _Protector_ … the Avatar cannot act out in emotion as much, decreed by the Spirits… that’s why a Protector is there by his side- to be emotional and gain power from the emotions, to be indiscriminate and protect not _just_ the Avatar, but all of those who need protecting- I think the Monks got it wrong when they were telling me. Quite frankly, with all the hell you’ve put me through I don’t know why I’m telling _you_ about all of this.” Natsu blew a small plume of silver fire and watched it crackle with sparks as it faded into wisps before he took another breath.

“ _Sure_ you’re trying to hunt down my brother and what few friends we’ve made or have left at this rate… But somehow, some way, I can tell you’re not like Zhao. So just be careful and keep an ear and eye open, alright?” the leash wouldn’t let Natsu go any farther than about seven feet from the holder, but sitting at the very end of the line showed his piece had been spoken. Zuko scoffed before leaving, dragging the half dragon with him.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about, _Protector_ ,” he said angrily. Natsu sighed and scratched the back of his head as he walked closer to avoid being choked by the collar.

 _‘Yeah, maybe I don’t…’_ he replied silently.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So when I looked at the canon-lore, I found that an Avatar is SUPPOSED to be a bridge- conduit, watcher, mediator, etc- between the Spirit World and the Physical Plane. The 100-Year War wasn't even a role they had to participate in because it more or less completely involved the Physical Plane until the humans went after the Spirits. In that way, they were able to throw things out of balance and screw everything up. When Aang went to see the Guru about the Avatar State (I'm assuming all who read this know the whole first series) one of the things he had to do was give up the thing that he loved the most- because as the Avatar, he cannot allow his emotions to rule his decisions when it comes to Spirit or Human.
> 
> So while The Protector is more or less a Guardian to the Avatar, they're more so a converter and emitter of the combined emotions when they get too strong for the Avatar alone to contain. While the Avatar is generally stronger spiritually, emotionally, the Protector reigns supreme with power... and Natsu is an emotional little shit, let's be real.
> 
> this made a lot more sense in my head, but oh well!


End file.
